Spring Magazine 11 by Lander University

Lander SPRING 2011

UNIVERSITY

In This Issue: • Lady Bearcats make a return to Sweet 16 • Horne earns spot in S.C. Athletics Hall of Fame • Lander begins new International Initiative • Young faculty balance work and family

The Sky is the Limit – Lander Mass Communication Program Spreads Wings, Reaches for Stardom

A Message from the President Dear Lander Alumni and Friends,

Winchester Trip Lander President Dr. Daniel Ball and first lady Marge Ball celebrated Thanksgiving 2010 overseas, spending the holiday with several Lander students who were studying abroad at the University of Winchester in southern England. The celebration was part of a special program hosted by Winchester for its American students who were studying at the university for the fall semester. The trip marked the second time the president and first lady have spent Thanksgiving at Winchester. Pictured, from left, are: Cameron Dorn of Waterloo, S.C., Lander Class of 2010; Wesley Leonard of Clinton, S.C., history; Dr. Daniel Ball; Alexa Ball, 11, granddaughter of Dr. and Mrs. Ball; Dr. Roger Richardson, director of internationalization at Winchester and liaison for the Study Abroad program at Lander; Miranda Gartman of Irmo, S.C., biology; Rade Musulin of Hilton Head Island, S.C., math; and Bethany Manders of Beech Island, S.C., early childhood education.

In my last message, I spoke of two transformational initiatives that promise to distinguish Lander for generations to come. An update on these projects, and an announcement of another new initiative, are described below: The Jeff May Complex is scheduled for completion this summer and will be home to Lander’s baseball, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, and men’s and women’s soccer teams. What a refreshing new venue for the beginning of our Fall 2011 semester! The Lander University Equestrian Center and its related programs have added a dimension to our campus that no other state university in South Carolina possesses. The academic component – therapeutic horsemanship – has more than 30 students enrolled, which is a testament to the need and interest this program has generated. The Equestrian Team also boasts nearly 30 students, up from eight just a year ago. The International Initiative is an exciting expansion of Lander University’s international academic programs, which will now include institutions of higher education in the Pacific Rim region, specifically China, South Korea and Japan. This program will bring several Asian students to Lander along with our traditional group of international students whom we routinely attract. The first initiative will be the selection of two Lander students to attend a two-week study program at Dong-A University in Korea this summer. You’ll read more about the International Initiative in this issue of the Lander Magazine. We also anticipate a semester-long student exchange this fall. As you know, global education, global business and global culture will dominate our world henceforth. Lander University needs to position itself to be competitive in these new arenas. Asia will be a major player – and so will Lander! We will sponsor a series of conferences over the next five years that will focus on the issues of internationalization and global change. The first focus nation will be Japan, with a “Focus on Japan Week” scheduled for Sept. 19-23, 2011. Keep watching these new and exciting developments grow!

On the Cover The 2010-11 academic year at Lander has brought a lot of exciting changes to the Department of Mass Communication and Theatre, including a new television set and the imminent launch of a university-driven live television network – WLGTV. As students generate content for the new television station, it has become a common occurrence to see them out with cameras and microphones, interviewing classmates, as well as university faculty, staff and administrators. Here, mass communication major Ryan Wiley of Greenwood films an interview at Centennial Hall between classmates Jasmine Rhinehart of Chester, left, and Jacob Lethco of Hodges. (Cover photo by Russell Martin)

Cordially,

Daniel W. Ball President

Lander SPRING 2011

UNIVERSITY

Features

University Relations and Publications Office 864-388-8329 • www.lander.edu

LANDER MAGAZINE STAFF Megan Price, Editor Dave Lorenzatti, Writer Russell Martin, Writer Jeff Lagrone, Writer Maria Scott, Designer Kathy Goldsmith, Editorial Assistant David Hays, Sports Writer Bob Stoner, Sports Writer

LANDER ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Myra Greene Shaffer ’78, Director of Alumni Affairs Debbie Lyons Dill ’90, Assistant Director of Alumni Affairs Don Scott ’75, President Erin Knapp Layland ’00, Vice President Angela Gilbert Strickland ’02, Secretary Deloris Sims Carter ’92, Treasurer Beth Campbell Quick ’00, Vice President for Young Alumni

Daniel W. Ball, President

Danny L. McKenzie, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Ralph E.G. Patterson, Vice President for University Advancement

J. Adam Taylor, Vice President for Governmental Relations

L.B. Adams Jr. Robert A. Barber Jr. Ann B. Bowen Bobby M. Bowers Robert A. Brimmer Linda L. Dolny Catherine Lee Frederick Maurice Holloway, Vice Chair Raymond D. Hunt, Chair Ann Hurst Jack W. Lawrence, Secretary John Nicholson Jr. Mamie W. Nicholson Sally E. Self George R. Starnes Fred M. Thrailkill S. Anne Walker Stock art is provided by istockphoto.com.

One for the Record Books The Lady Bearcats make their second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen to finish up the most successful season in the history of the women’s basketball program at Lander.

Opening the Door to New Educational Opportunities in Asia Lander students will soon have an opportunity to study at institutions of higher education in the Pacific Rim region, thanks to a new Asian initiative that debuts this summer.

Jefferson J. May, Athletics Director

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Lander Media Students Poised to Reach the Masses With an updated television studio, a thriving radio station and a successful student newspaper in print and online, Lander mass communication students are bringing quality, professional programming to the region and beyond.

H. Randall Bouknight, Vice President for Student Affairs

Balancing the demands of teaching, research and parenting can be challenging, but members of the Lander faculty have found their own methods for staying on track with a busy schedule.

18 Cover Story: Live in Five

LANDER EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

Glenda E. Ridgely, Vice President for Business and Administration

Young Faculty Strike a Balance Between Teaching and Parenting

Lander Students Honor D-Day Survivor with Tree While on a study tour in France, a group of Lander students

befriend a veteran and D-Day survivor and decide to pay tribute to his service by planting a tree in his honor at the university.

The University in Review 2 Homecoming

24 Sports News

4 Alumni News

26 News Briefs

8 Class Notes

34 Gifts to Lander

14 Commencement It is the policy of Lander University to provide equal educational and employment opportunities to all present and future employees and students regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability. Lander University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

Welcome to the Jungle

Bearcat Country Gets Wild for Homecoming 2011 By Russell Martin

Students and alumni showed a bit of their wild side when the university hosted reunions, student competitions and family fun for the Welcome to the Jungle-themed Homecoming festivities.

That’s the spirit Top: The Blue Army marched on Horne Arena for the spirit portion of the weeklong Homecoming competition. Though the Blue Army is made up of all Bearcat fans, this particular faction is formed by members of the Lander chapter of Gamma Phi Beta sorority, who brought home the win for this particular portion of the student competition.

– Photo by Melissa Spolarich

1. King and Queen for a year

Lander crowned a new Homecoming King and Queen: sociology major Demario Watts of Clinton, left, and business administration major Marina Morgan of Greenwood.

2. Car 99, where are you?

The Tau Kappa Epsilon entry in the annual Homecoming soap box race speeds down Willson Street toward the finish line. In addition to placing first in the soap box race, TKE was the overall winner in the Greek Division for Homecoming 2011.

3. Brain freeze All of the activities during the weeklong competition between Greek and Open Division organizations offered fun and excitement for students during Homecoming 2011. Pictured, students race to see who can be first to finish their frozen concoction during a Field Day slushy-drinking contest.

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

4. Too much fun! Cheer and Dance Team members Katie Watson of Simpsonville, left, and Candace Spann of Hanahan get wrapped up in the moment during the Field Day balloon relay. The Cheer and Dance Team won the overall competition in the Open Division for Homecoming 2011.

5. Beware the wild Bearcat As part of the numerous student competitions during Homecoming week, students designed banners to see who could best merge the Welcome to the Jungle theme with Lander imagery. The winning banner, pictured, was designed by Kappa Sigma.

6. Tailgating on the lawn 6

Phi Mu sorority takes time out to get a little silly during the tailgating activities, which preceded the Homecoming men and women’s basketball games against Georgia Northwestern in Horne Arena.

7. Winning putt Bob Thompson ’04 sinks the winning shot during the putting competition that preceded the Alumni Golf Outing.

8. In the family zone

For the second year in a row, Lander’s Alumni Association hosted a Family Fun Zone for alumni and their children in the Johnston Commons. Pictured, Misty Key Seaborn ’00 and son Gareth share a little of their funtime with the Lander Bearcat. In addition to Gareth, Seaborn was joined by husband Chris ’00 and sons Dax and Bryce. – Photo by Megan Price

9. 25th reunion Members of the Lander chapter of Alpha Tau Omega got together for a night of fun and fellowship during a 25-year reunion at T.W. Boons in Uptown Greenwood. ATO members pictured, from left, are: Ray Chan ’08, Jeff Constant ’93 and Will Metts, current ATO president. – Photo by Jeff Lagrone

10. Let the crawl begin 10

Part of the 2011 Homecoming festivities featured the Bearcat Crawl, which offered a chance for alumni to reconnect with each other while enjoying a taste of the Greenwood nightlife. Pictured, from left, are: Brandon D. Pitts ’96, Dea Sakovich Knight ’94, Michael Knight and Willie H. Rayford ’95. – Photo by Debbie Dill

11. Happy young alumni

After the basketball games on Homecoming Day, alumni were able to catch up during the Young Alumni Happy Hour Drop-in at Howard’s On Main in Uptown Greenwood. In attendance were, from left: Ashley Justice ’09, Beth Caskey ’09, Amber Justice ’09 and Brittany Wells ’05. – Photo by Debbie Dill

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

Alumni News

Sharing Memories: Lander Alums Reconnect with Bearcat Country By Russell Martin

Some had been away for quite some time, but even decades and distance did not fade the fondness with which those returning for Lander’s 2010 Alumni Reunion Weekend looked upon their alma mater. The weekend began on Sept. 24 with a 50th reunion dinner at Lander on the Square, followed by an alumni happy hour at T.W. Boons, both in Uptown Greenwood. On Sept. 25, events focused on 60th-, 50th-, 40th- and 30thyear reunions for the classes of 1950, 1960, 1970 and 1980. Several alums from various graduating classes were also in attendance, including a 101-year-old alumna from the Class of 1930, Virginia Taylor Rushton. Rushton was accompanying her daughter Virginia Lynne Rushton Ouzts, who was on campus celebrating her own 50th reunion

Class of ’60

with fellow Class of 1960 alums. “We were excited to welcome alumni from as far back as 1930, and it means so much to all of us at Lander to have our alumni and friends back on campus,” said Ralph Patterson, Lander vice president for University Advancement. “Alumni classes from 1930 to 2010 were represented, and it is fantastic that so many of our alumni who love Lander took the time to join us for a great weekend.” The weekend’s events also included meetings of Lander’s Young Alumni Council and the Alumni Association Board. On Saturday, attendees were treated to a luncheon prepared by Old Main Catering and given updates on Lander’s current goals and initiatives. Following the luncheon, alums had

the chance to take a bus tour of campus and get a firsthand glimpse of how the university has changed. The tour included a trip to the university’s newest feature, the Jeff May Complex, which is expected to open in 2011. “It’s so important for alumni to reconnect with each other,” said Patterson. “As soon as they step on campus the memories come roaring back. We hope that many who came back, and others who could not, will find a way to support Lander right now. We appreciate our alumni so much, and Lander definitely needs their support.” For information about alumni events, contact Lander’s Alumni Affairs Office at 864-388-8351.

Celebrating their 50th year as Lander graduates were, front row, from left: Barbara Hiers Toler, Gloria Tisdale Seaborn, Mary Sloan Buice, Bonnie Ellis McDaniel, Joyce Johnson Nickles, Kathryn Cantrell Fallaw, Ruth Tisdale Marbert, Lynne Rushton Ouzts and Henry Price. Second row, from left: Dick Shaffer, Jackie Crowder Leigh, Lal Minus Younginer, Barbara Knight McGee, Joyce McDonald, Lorraine Lee Saverance, Hilda Ligon Herring, Pat McGee Helms and Wes Brown.

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

Alumni News

1. Class of ’70 Returning to Lander for their 40th-year reunion were, front row, from left: Libby Sumerel Day, Diane Williams Tavares and Susan Moore Sexton. Back row, from left: Carol Singleton Blair, Penny Sumerel Pabst, Jane Pitts Sexton (Class of 1969), Joyce Brown Decker, Larry Blackmon and Don Bergman.

2. Class of ’80 Members of the Class of ’80 returning to Lander for their 30th reunion were Robert Childs, left, and Steve Grogan.

3. Keeping the Lander tradition 1

Virginia Taylor Rushton, center, Class of 1930, was honored with an award given to alums representing the earliest class at the university’s Alumni Reunion Luncheon. Rushton, a 101-year-old resident of Greenville, is pictured with Lander Presidential Ambassadors Katie Reeves, left, of Moncks Corner and Victoria McDonald of Cheraw.

4. Decades of school spirit

Also honored representing the earliest classes during the luncheon were Cora Godsey Starling, Class of 1940, left, and Blanche Gilstrap Creswell, Class of 1950.

5. Long-distance traveler Traveling the farthest distance to attend Alumni Reunion Day was Florida resident Jackie Crowder Leigh, Class of 1960. Leigh is pictured with Ralph Patterson, Lander vice president for University Advancement.

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

Alumni News

Plowden, Corley and Grogan Selected for Alumni Association Awards By Dave Lorenzatti

Young Alumnus of the Year Major Cory J. Plowden ’99

Distinguished Alumna of the Year Nancy Boyter Corley ’75

The Grace Iler Norman Award Steve Grogan ’80

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

An army major, a recognized hospice care expert and the manager of Lander’s newest athletic facility are the 2011 recipients of the Lander Alumni Association’s top awards. The honorees are Major Cory Plowden, a 17-year South Carolina National Guard and U.S. Army veteran; Nancy Boyter Corley, chief executive officer of HospiceCare of the Piedmont in Greenwood; and Steve Grogan, Lander’s assistant athletic director and manager of the Jeff May Complex. Plowden was chosen for the Young Alumni of the Year Award, which honors alumni who have graduated within the last 15 years and serve their communities in exemplary ways. A native of Troy, he graduated from Lander in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in biology. He was also the distinguished military graduate when he completed the Lander Bearcat Company’s ROTC program. He has a master’s degree in health care management from Webster University and his military specialty is medical services. Plowden, who has served two tours of duty in Iraq, was surprised to receive the Young Alumnus Award. “I am not doing anything extraordinary,” he said. Lt. Col. Warren Bacote, a 1989 Lander graduate and garrison commander at Ft. Devens, Mass., disagrees. He nominated Plowden for the award, citing his many accomplishments in uniform. He said, “He has had a superior military career and his service is a credit to Lander.” Plowden’s decorations include the Bronze Star, two Meritorious Service Medals, the Army Achievement Medal and three Army Commendation Medals. Greenwood native Nancy Corley, a 1975 graduate of Lander’s School of Nursing, received the Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award, given to graduates who have gained distinction in their careers. A leader in hospice and end-of-life care, Corley was the first person in South Carolina to become certified as a hospice and palliative

care administrator. During her 22 years as chief executive, HospiceCare of the Piedmont has grown from a staff of four to 75, caring for over 500 patients a year. She has also served on a number of state and national hospice boards and committees and was recognized by the state legislature for her community hospice work. She said she is very honored to receive the Alumni Association award. “It is extremely rewarding to be appreciated by the people you serve.” Corley still maintains ties to Lander as a guest lecturer, and the university’s student nurses rotate through HospiceCare as part of their clinical requirements. The Grace Iler Norman Award, recognizing significant achievements within the university and the Alumni Association, went to 1980 graduate Steve Grogan, Lander’s director of Alumni Affairs for 14 years. The Westminster native received a physical education degree from Lander and a master’s degree from Western Carolina University in North Carolina. After graduation, he taught school and coached in Aiken County. At Lander, he has also worked as director of Career Services and director of Development. In December 2009, he was appointed to supervise construction of the Jeff May Complex for recreation, wellness and sports, and six months later he was named assistant athletic director and complex manager. Grogan said, “It is very humbling to receive this award when you look at the list of the past recipients.” He said many of those people and others at Lander had a big impact on his life academically and personally. He said the award is even more of an honor since he knew Grace Iler Norman, who was Lander’s first Alumni Affairs director. Grogan is a former recipient of the Alumni Association’s Young Alumni Award and a member of the Samuel Lander Society for including Lander in his will.

Events Calendar

Myra Shaffer: Strengthening and Forming Alumni Relationships Myra Greene Shaffer is Lander’s new director of Alumni Affairs but she certainly needed no introduction to the campus. She is a Lander alumna, a member of the theatre arts adjunct faculty and, most recently, executive director of Greenwood-Lander Performing Arts (GLPA). Shaffer moved into her new job in December succeeding longtime Alumni Affairs director Steve Grogan who, in July, became assistant athletic director and manager of the Jeff May Complex, the university’s new recreation, wellness and sports center under construction on Montague Avenue. Shaffer and Grogan were tennis partners while enrolled at Lander in 1977. “It was a difficult decision to leave GLPA,” Shaffer said, Director of Alumni Affairs adding, “but I’m excited about the challenges associated Myra Greene Shaffer ’78 with my new job.” She said she will continue Grogan’s emphasis on persuading Lander alumni to become more involved in the university, especially in light of continued reductions in state financial assistance to colleges and universities. “It’s not only about money; we need our alumni to promote the university in various public arenas to help recruit and retain students.” Shaffer said institutions of higher education are making a push to build a closer working relationship between their Alumni Affairs and Admissions offices. “We are teaming up with Lander’s Admissions staff and inviting students who have been accepted to Lander and prospective students and their families to attend alumni functions that are held across the state.” The goal is to introduce them to Lander graduates and build relationships. Shaffer obtained a degree in sociology from Lander in 1978 and graduated from the Burt Reynolds Institute for Theatre Training. She had a 14-year association with Greenwood Community Theatre and during that time was a member of the university’s Alumni Association and Board of Visitors. She left GCT to accept a position in Lander Alumni Affairs while pursuing a master’s degree in theatre history at the University of South Carolina. During that time, she was instrumental in developing Lander Tower Club alumni chapters in Greenwood, Greenville and Columbia. She was named GLPA director in August of 2008 and is credited with bringing some of the world’s most talented musicians, dancers, singers and actors to the stage of Lander’s Josephine B. Abney Cultural Center Auditorium. She also supervised GLPA’s outreach program, which draws children from more than 30 schools in five local school districts. During the most recent school year, nearly 6,700 youngsters from elementary and middle schools attended 11 outreach performances at Lander. For many, it was their first experience with live theatre. In addition to her Alumni Affairs responsibilities, Shaffer teaches classes on introduction to theatre and film and theatre history. Ralph Patterson, Lander’s vice president for University Advancement who oversees Alumni Affairs, said, “Myra is a perfect fit for the alumni director’s job. She has been active in all phases of the Lander Alumni Association and was recognized for her work when she received the association’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2005.” Patterson added, “She has tremendous experience identifying and cultivating donors through her work with the Alumni Association and GLPA. She is well-known in the community and has a terrific work ethic.”

April - October 2011 April 9

Campus Cleanup Day

April 15-16

Alumni Weekend

April 25

Tower Club Greenwood Meeting

April 30

Spring Commencement

May 14

Greenville Drive Outing Greenville, S.C.

Aug. 27

Freshman Move-In Day

Aug. 28

Alumni Music Fest Cabana at Grand Harbor Ninety Six, S.C.

Sept. 1

Fall Classes Begin

Sept. 8-11

Vietnam Wall Exhibit Lander University

Oct. 14

Alumni “Fall for Lander” Greenville, S.C.

Oct. 29

Admissions Open House

Stay Connected with the Alumni Facebook Page

You can now keep up with the latest

alumni news and events by joining the Lander University Alumni Affairs fan page on Facebook®.The page is updated frequently with alumni information and current news on happenings at Lander, including sporting and cultural events. It also features photos to browse and links to other Lander-related pages. Visit www.facebook.com/landeralumni to view the page or become a fan. You can also find a link to the page by going to the Alumni Affairs section of Lander’s website: www.lander.edu/alumni-affairs. Lander University also has a Facebook page featuring general news and information. It can be found by clicking the Facebook icon on Lander’s home page: www.lander.edu.

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

Class Notes

Class Notes are compiled by Debbie Dill, assistant director of Alumni Affairs. Please mail items for Class Notes to Alumni Affairs, CPO Box 6004, Lander University, 320 Stanley Ave., Greenwood, SC 29649 or e-mail items to ddill@lander.edu.

Nancy Jones Guzman ’72 was named 2011 Wachovia Principal of the Year for CharlotteMecklenburg Schools. Debrah Hodges Miller ’76 was nominated chair of Greenwood School District 50 Board of Trustees. David A. Duncan ’77 recently won the North Carolina Lottery Carolina Pick 5. Carlotta Cunningham Stackhouse ’78 has been hired by Morris College as their director of the Forensic Center and tasked with developing a forensic minor within their criminal justice major. Carlotta retired from SLED after 25 years as a major. Cindy Lawrence Chihasz ’81 was named Abbeville School District Teacher of the Year for 2010-2011. Cindy is retiring in June after 28 years of teaching. Rosemary Burton Herlong ’81 was named Employee of the Year for 2010-2011 by Cape Fear Valley Medical Center where she is a recreational therapist. Marcia Thrift Hydrick ’81 was elected to serve on the Foundation Board for Tri-County Technical College. Steven McKinney ’82 was named Edgefield County Teacher of the Year for 2010-2011. He was also honored with the same award in 1995. Timothy J. Copeland ’84 has been hired as park superintendent by South Cove County Park in Seneca. Bruce Ferrell ’86 is an anchor, host and producer for newscasts on NC Network News radio. He has been involved with radio and television broadcasts for over 20 years. Stephen Giebner ’87 has been named assistant director of retail accounting at Charleston-based Piggly Wiggly Carolina Company. Laratifter Denise Benson ’88 earned her master’s in business administration from Strayer University on May 27. She graduated with honors, maintaining a 4.0 GPA. William F. Smith ’92 and Jennifer Justice Smith ’95 are excited to announce their son, Will, has been the Lander men’s basketball team’s ball boy this season. R. Lee Boggs ’93 earned a master’s in media management from the University of Missouri. Lee teaches journalism at Lander.

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

Goff ’78 Welcomed into a Select Group of Women in the Military Marie Goff joined the South Carolina Army National Guard under its delayed enlistment program in 1977 while she was a student at Lander. The day after graduation, she reported to Fort Gordon in Augusta, Ga., to begin training as a telecommunications operator. She was ready for military service well before graduation day arrived, noting that her hair is cut short in her graduation picture. “I had it chopped to prepare for basic training.” Last December, 34 years after arriving at Fort Gordon as an enlisted soldier, Goff became the highest-ranking woman in the history of the South Carolina National Guard when the White House and U.S. Senate confirmed her promotion to brigadier general. On Jan. 7, at a formal ceremony at National Guard headquarters in Columbia, her mother, Margaret Alexander of Greenwood, and her husband, Col. Eddie Goff, pinned a star to her uniform, the insignia of her new rank. Brig. Gen. Goff is a native of Ninety Six. Her classmates at what was then called Lander College will remember her as Marie Alexander and later Marie McKee when she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. She went on to earn a master’s degree in computer and information resource management from Webster University, and a master’s in strategic studies from the Army War College. Why did she choose a career in the armed forces? Goff said, “I asked myself, ‘What am I going to do after college?’ Job opportunities were slim at the time.” So she signed up with the National Guard for what she expected would be a three-year enlistment. After completing her initial round of training, she worked in the Greenwood County Sheriff ’s Office for nine months then enrolled in officer candidate school. It was while she was in the yearlong officer’s training program at Palmetto Military Academy that she met Eddie Goff, the soldier who would become her husband. “We dated for a year then went our separate ways,” she said. That was in 1981 when she was commissioned as a second lieutenant. Then 25 years later, the couple began dating again, and in 2007 they married. Col. Goff is the chief of coalition development for the U.S. Central Command at MacDill AFB, in Tampa, Fla. Brig. Gen. Goff serves as assistant adjutant general and vice chief of the joint staff for the South Carolina Military Department, assisting with day-to-day operations of the state’s Army and Air National Guard units. Women represent 11 percent of personnel in the South Carolina National Guard and the percentage of women officers is even smaller. When she joined the National Guard in 1977, she could not imagine achieving the rank of general. Ten years earlier, President Lyndon Johnson signed legislation removing restrictions that, in effect, prevented women Brig. Gen. Marie Goff, left, has a star signifying her in the military from being promoted to the new military rank pinned to her uniform by her mother, rank of general. Three years later, Colonels Margaret Alexander of Greenwood, with assistance Anna Mae Hays, chief of the Army Nurse from her husband, Army Col. Eddie Goff.

Class Notes

Corps, and Elizabeth Hoisington, director of the Women’s Army Corps, became the first two women promoted to brigadier general. Nationally, Goff is one of only 17 female general officers in the Army National Guard, according to the General Officer Management Office at the National Guard Bureau. Reminiscing about her days as a Lander student, Goff said the university was a family-like environment, staffed by people who cared. “I loved Lander. I always felt my professors had a vested interest in me.” Goff has family in Greenwood County in addition to her mother. Her sister-in-law, Jane Alexander, also lives in Greenwood, and her sister, Elaine Gentry, lives in Shoals Junction.

Rochelle Ellenburg Binion ’94 is the new staff chaplain at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas. She will continue to serve as a chaplain in the Air Force Reserve, where she is a captain.

Bennett ’97 Recognized for Excellence in Teaching

Annie Smith Houston ’03 was hired by the City of Abbeville as an events coordinator.

Margaret Young Bennett, a 1997 graduate of Lander, recently won a WYFF-TV Golden Apple Award for excellence in teaching. The television segment that aired January 6 shows Bennett working with 8-year-old Macy Storm, a special education student assigned to Bennett’s second-grade class at Lake Forest Elementary School in Greenville. Bennett was nominated by Macy’s parents, who appreciated her efforts to reach Macy and Golden Apple Award winner Margaret Bennett ’97 make her feel a part of the class. poses with Macy Storm (front center) and other As Bennett puts it, “the small steps for her students in her second-grade class at Lake Forest are big steps.” Elementary School in Greenville. She says her other students are “very accepting” of Macy. She has gifted and talented students in the same class, however, and challenging them is part of the job, too. It is, as Bennett calls it, “a balancing act,” but her bloodlines suggest she will be up to the task. All four of her grandparents either taught or were principals or superintendents. Her mother, Nancy Young, taught biology at Lander from 1970 until 1974. Both of her sisters also teach. Bennett’s husband, Arvie Bennett Jr. ’99, is a physical education teacher at East North Street Academy in Greenville. Bennett’s undergraduate degree from Lander qualified her to teach early childhood, elementary and special education students. She also has an M.Ed. degree from Walden University and is working on an Ed.D. She was assigned to Lake Forest Elementary four years ago, after state budget cuts forced the closure of the special ed class she was teaching. For the next year, she worked with small groups of remedial students. Lake Forest principal Cindy Coggins felt Bennett’s talents were being underutilized, however, and when she needed a second-grade teacher for the 2008-2009 school year, she turned to Bennett. For Bennett, the best part of teaching is “seeing the kids grow and challenging them.” Her goal, she said, is to “make a difference in their world, no matter how big or small.” She has fond memories of what she called “the personal, family environment” at her alma mater, and credits Lander, especially professor emeritus of education Sheila Marino, with giving her the tools she needed to succeed. To view the segment on Bennett, go to www.wyff4.com/r-video/26393399/detail.html.

Mitch Terry ’94 was a September 2010 Employee of the Month for Self Regional Hospital. Erin Knapp Layland ’00 has been promoted to vice president/commercial banker with CapitalBank. Erin is also the president of the Lander Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Caroline Roberts Nave ’03 was promoted to banking officer with CapitalBank. Caroline is the office manager for the Montague branch in Greenwood. Lorraine M. Angelino ’05 received a doctorate in educational leadership from Clemson University in May 2009. She was selected as district governor 2013-14 for Rotary District 7750. Jamie Bull Blake ’05 received a Master of Science in occupational therapy from Brenau University. Jamie works for Aegis Therapies in Lawrenceville, Ga. Tiffany Fore ’05 is working for a nonprofit, Day Break Crisis Pregnancy Center. Amy Cobb Surrett ’05 was a September 2010 Employee of the Month for Self Regional Hospital. Samuel Lide Wheeler ’05 received a master’s in business administration from Winthrop University. Laquisha Nicole Davis ’06 donated a kidney to her father, Horace Davis, in September. Her father was in failing health due to living for more than 20 years with lupus. Kelly Kruger Rhodes ’06 was named the Piedmont Reading Council’s Distinguished Teacher of the Year. Jessica Epps Wilkes ’06 earned a doctorate in nursing practice as a nurse practitioner from the University of South Carolina. Jessica works at Providence Hospital as a nurse educator. Anna Christine Adams ’08 received a Master of Arts in teaching from Winthrop University. Ebony N. Ligon ’08 completed the Disney College Program in January 2009. She works for DHHS as a health service specialist. Ebony began dancing with the Conduit Christian Dance Company in March. Aimee Sanders ’08 was named Greenwood District 50 2010-2011 First-Year Teacher of the Year.

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

Class Notes

Kim M. Tomlinson ’08 received the Employee of the Year award from the Greenwood Family YMCA.

Hastings ’78 Appointed to Manufacturing Council

Ashleigh R. Williams ’08 has joined Centene Corporation as program coordinator.

Mount Vernon Mills CEO David Hastings, Lander Class of 1978, was appointed in August to serve as a member of the Manufacturing Council, the principal advisory group to the Secretary of Commerce on the United States manufacturing sector. He is one of three CEOs from the Southeast and the first ever from South Carolina appointed to the 24-member council. Directed by the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration, the council was established in 2004. U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke announced the appointment of the 24 members, who represent a broad section of industries that include steel, textile, superconductor and solar panel manufacturers. Their products support a diverse range of industries, such as the auto, aerospace, apparel and energy-efficient sectors. The secretaries of Labor, Energy and Treasury have also been added as ex-officio members of the council, which advises the Secretary of Commerce on matters relating to the competitiveness of the manufacturing sector and on government policies and programs that affect U.S. manufacturers. Of his two-year appointment, Hastings said, “I look forward to working with Secretary Locke and the members of the council to create national policies that support and drive U.S. manufacturing. In particular, I want to focus my efforts on working to achieve trade, tax and financing policies that put U.S. manufacturing on a level playing field with the rest of the world. I am convinced that U.S. manufacturing, which is vital to our country’s economic future, will rebound if the right policies are put into place in Washington.” Hastings is CEO of Mount Vernon Mills Inc., a diversified and integrated manufacturer of textile, chemical and related products for the apparel, industrial, institutional and commercial markets. Headquartered in Mauldin, the company has about 2,700 employees and operates 14 production facilities throughout the southern United States. Hastings is married to Kelly Cox Hastings ’82, and the couple have three children. He also serves as the chairman of The National Council of Textile Organizations and is a board member of the S.C. Manufacturers Alliance. (Information provided by Mount Vernon Mills, Inc.)

Grayson A. Kelly ’09 was named district executive for the Blue Ridge Council of the Boy Scouts of America over Pickens County.

Weddings Weddings took place in 2010 unless noted.

Terri Santika Young ’95 and Santana Delano Freeman, Abbeville, Oct. 2. Terri is employed by South Carolina Electric and Gas. They live in Abbeville. Heather Ann Byington ’99 and Edward Grady Burton, Greenwood, Dec. 4. Heather is the executive director at Westside Living Center. They live in Greer. Sonja Joy Woods ’99 and Robert Lee, Feb. 20. Sonja is a regional accountant with Epic Management. They live in Charleston. Aimee Beth Lamkin ’00 and Davis Simmons, Columbia, Dec. 9. Aimee is the executive director for Carillon Assisted Living. They live in Willow Spring, N.C. Laurie Jane Brock ’01 and Scott David Weatherbee, Greenwood, Aug. 7. Laurie is a registered nurse. They live in Charleston.

Bartley ’66 Recognized for Support of World Languages

Gayle Scott Sutherland ’01 and Jeffrey Alan Puckett were married Aug. 7 in Greenwood. Gayle is employed by Aun and McKay Law Firm as a real estate paralegal. They live in Columbia. Pictured, the happy couple celebrates with Lander alumnae, standing from left, Valerie Smith Jenks ’01, Rita Thakrar Ravel ’01, Summer Bowman ’01, Chrissy Smith Matthews ’02 and Tonya Hicks Amaker ’01.

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

Lander Class of ’66 alumnus Dr. John E. Bartley has been recognized by the Georgia Department of Education for his administrative support of world languages in Georgia, following on the heels of the Administrative Award by the Foreign Language Association of Georgia. Annually, a college or university president, a school superintendent or a principal from Georgia is selected for the award championing the work of foreign language teachers and students. Bartley began his career as a French teacher at Northside Junior High School in Greenwood. His career path has included teaching and administration, including service as the curriculum coordinator for world languages and ESOL for the DeKalb County School System and as a high school principal. He retired in July as principal of Centennial High School in Roswell, Ga. He credits his success of some 40 years in education to the outstanding educational underpinnings he received at Lander. (Information provided by press release.)

Class Notes

Casey Leigh McClinton ’08 and Ryan Edward Mlinar, Greenwood, Nov. 20. Casey is employed by Blissful Photography and The Greenwood Dance Center. They live in Greenwood. Melissa Townsend Strange ’09 and Christopher Allen Kirkland ’09, Greenwood, Dec. 11. Melissa is a third-grade teacher with Greenwood School District 50 and CK is employed by State Farm. They live in Greenwood. Morgan Bennett Layne ’10 and Nicholas Robert Greb ’10, Greenwood, Feb. 19. Morgan is a registered nurse at Self Regional Healthcare and Nicholas is a second lieutenant in the Marines. They are living in Greenwood until further orders from the U.S. Marine Corps.

Births Births took place in 2010 unless noted.

Every day seems like a Lander alumni reunion at SYNNEX, a comprehensive provider of IT distribution and business process outsourcing (BPO) services. The Greenville, S.C., company boasts quite a few Lander graduates representing classes from the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. The group gathered recently for a photo, taking time out to reminisce on their days at the university. Among the Lander graduates who work at SYNNEX are, pictured back row, from left: Steve Moss ’86; Jason Aldrich ’98; Brian Dyar ’96; Scott Young ’95; Chip Lewis ’98; Jeffrey Campbell ’96, and Ben Gary ’98. Middle row: John Such ’99; Scott Brock ’04; Russell Burton ’01; LeAnne Heaton ’06; Tommy Plumer ’99, and Michael Hanna ’99. Front row: Laura Ward ’99; Ashley Finley ’97; Sommer Dobbins ’03; Barbara Garrett ’95, and Amanda Huffling ’04. Katherine Cole Foster ’01 and Gary Wayne Hughes, Honea Path, Aug. 21. Katherine is enrolled at Clemson University pursuing a Master of Arts in teaching. They live in Honea Path. Scott Everitt Aiken ’03 and Sara Ann Zipfel, Greenville, Sept. 7. Scott is employed by Century Fire Protection as a sales manager. They live in Greenwood. Lindsey Suzanne Jones ’04 and William Spence Stork, Mauldin, May 1. They live in Greenville. Stacie J. Smyth ’04 and Brandon L. Westmoreland, Greenwood, Oct. 23. Stacie is employed by Countybank. They live in Greenwood. Jamie Elizabeth Bull ’05 and Michael Blake, Greenville, May 8. Jamie works for Aegis Therapies as an occupational therapist. George Caleb Clark ’06 and Hope Nicole Jeffcoat ’09, Columbia, July 18. Caleb is a math teacher at Union County High School and Hope teaches in Union’s elementary school district. They live in Union.

Bradley Thomas Fender ’06 and Amanda Nichole Wilkie ’09, McCormick, March 19, 2011. Brad is a contractor for Proficient Enterprises and Amanda is a financial analyst with Blackbaud Inc. They live in Goose Creek. James Richard LaForge ’06 and Mary Kathryn May, Greenwood, Aug. 14. James is pursuing a Master of Arts in teaching at Converse College. They live in Greenwood. Bonnie Elizabeth Reagin ’06 and Jonathan Meehan Marshall, Charleston, Feb. 5. Elizabeth is employed by Northeastern Anesthesia Services as a certified registered nurse anesthetist. They live in Mt. Kisco, N.Y. Paul Michael Keck ’07 and Allison Cate Devine ’09, Greenville, Oct. 17, 2009. Paul works with BB&T and Allison is an admissions counselor at Lander University. They live in Greenville. Brenton Wayne Bagwell ’08 and Abby Jean Pitts ’08, Greenville, Sept. 25. Abby is employed by Laurens Electrical Cooperative. They live in Hickory Tavern.

Terri Young Freeman ’95 and Santana Delano Freeman, a son, Tristin Freeman, July 21, 2009. Terri is employed by South Carolina Electric & Gas. Michelle Mungia Jenkins ’95 and Mike Jenkins, a son, William Arthur, Nov. 10. William joins big sister Emelia, 7. Matthew Bell ’96 and Christina Bell, a son, Gibson Matthew, July 1. Matthew is a property specialist for Travelers Insurance. Eddie Shaw ’96 and Suzanne Shaw, a daughter, Annie Taylor, Feb. 27. Eddie is the director of Special Events at Lander University. Michael D. Byrd ’97 and Jennifer Goldman Byrd ’98, a son, Andrew David, Aug. 15. Andrew has a big brother, Phillip, 6. Maternal grandparents are M. Jerrel Goldman ’69 and Linda M. Goldman ’70. Linda is the administrative assistant in Lander’s College of Arts and Humanities. Nicole Rice Tallon ’97 and Brian Tallon, a daughter, Mia Claire, Oct. 13. Mia joins older sister Anna Kate. Tanika Chancellor Dillard ’00 and Christopher E. Dillard, a son, Christopher Ethan, Aug. 31. Tanika is employed with Cancer Centers of the Carolinas. Karen Bartley Rowland ’01 and Bryan Rowland, a daughter, Kelsie Ann, Aug. 17. Karen is a financial counselor for Cancer Centers of the Carolinas. Rebecca Tyler Ogden ’02 and Jonathan Ogden, a son, Zachary Tyler, Dec. 20. Whitney Byars Ramsey ’02 and Matt Ramsey, a son, Brady Alan, Feb. 26. Brady joins big sister Rachel and big brother Eli.

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

Class Notes

Nicole Bucalo Curtis ’04 and Ryal Curtis, a daughter, Hailey Marie, Aug. 20. Nicole is the new director of Communications for the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce. Katherine Duncan Brashier ’05 and Drew T. Brashier ’05, a son, Logant Thomas, April 27. Katherine is a physical therapist assistant at Oakmont East Nursing Center. Drew is chair of the Criminal Justice Program at ITT Technical College. Crystal Prior Goforth ’05 and Michael Goforth, a daughter, Christina Joy, Sept. 15. Crystal is a stayat-home mom. David R. Scott ’05 and Melissa Noble Scott ’06, a daughter, Addilyn Elise, Sept. 1. David is employed by CapitalBank and Melissa by the Greenwood Genetic Center. Sarah Sherbo Jordan ’06 and Dylan Jordan, a son, Campbell Wyatt, April 8.

In Memoriam Deaths took place in 2010 unless noted.

Josephine McDaniel Batson ’32, Covington, Ga., Oct. 9. She was a retired teacher and a member of Cayce United Methodist Church. Surviving are her husband, a son, a daughter, nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Alma Kathryne Creighton Bentley ’35, Greenville, Feb. 22, 2011. She was devoted to helping her husband as a pastor’s wife and in missions abroad, and she was a high school math and science teacher. Surviving are a son, two daughters, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Jane Brogdon Pate ’35, Sumter, Sept. 29. She taught for many years in Florence and Sumter county schools. Surviving are four children, nine grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

Casey Childers Holladay ’07 and Scott Holladay, a daughter, Savannah Claire, Sept. 21. Casey is employed at Self Regional Healthcare. Savannah joins big sister Chandler.

Beatrice Mabry Galphin ’36, Fuquay Varina, N.C., Jan. 23, 2011. She was a retired schoolteacher. Surviving are her husband, two sons, one daughter, six grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and one sister.

Submit an Item to Class Notes

Beryl Lawrence Lowry ’36, Seneca, Jan. 23, 2011. She was a housewife and member of Seneca Presbyterian Church. Surviving are a son, a grandson and a great-granddaughter. Mildred Wood Adkins ’39, Anderson, Sept. 5. She was a math teacher but spent most of her career working for DSS. She is survived by three sons, nine grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and two brothers. Sara Brogdon Boykin ’41, Sumter, Feb. 18, 2011. She taught elementary school and was a piano teacher for 20 years. Surviving are two daughters, two grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and a sister. Jean Brown Oliver ’41, Daytona Beach, Fla., May 20. She was a member of Community United Methodist Church. Surviving are a daughter, and nieces and nephews.

Have an item of news you would like to submit for Class Notes? Please send your information on weddings, births, deaths, awards, promotions or other items of interest to: Office of Alumni Affairs, Lander University, 320 Stanley Avenue, Greenwood, SC 29649 You can also submit information by calling Debbie Dill at 864-388-8351 or by e-mailing ddill@lander.edu.

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

Vivian McKesson Wynn ’41, Spartanburg, Jan. 31, 2011. She was a schoolteacher and member of First Baptist Church. Surviving are a son, a daughter, four grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, one sister, and many stepchildren and stepgrandchildren. Margaret Kern Lominack ’42, Dec. 20, 2009. Riley Ficklin Watson ’42, Greenwood, Feb. 4, 2011. She retired after 31 years of teaching. Surviving are a son, a daughter, four grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, a brother and a sister. Robbie Lawson Parker ’43, Gladstone, Mo., Feb. 18, 2011. She was a retired schoolteacher. Surviving are a daughter, three grandchildren, two greatgrandchildren and a sister.

Lois Polatty Sparks ’43, Greenwood, Sept. 15. She was a retired schoolteacher. Surviving are a daughter, three grandchildren and a sister. Jean Redden Martin ’53, Greenwood, Aug. 28. She worked for Cooper Power Systems for 33 years. Surviving are a son, a daughter and five grandchildren. JoAnn Lusk Allen ’55, Greenwood, Dec. 2. She was a retired schoolteacher. Surviving are a son, a daughter, five grandchildren, three brothers and three sisters. Helen Abrams Chasteen ’55, Greenwood, Sept. 10. She was a retired schoolteacher. Surviving are her husband, three daughters, five grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and a sister. Mary Alice White Abell ’60, Greenwood, March 4, 2011. She was a member of First Presbyterian Church and the Laurel Garden Club. Surviving are her husband, two sons, two daughters and 10 grandchildren. Kay Wall Lee ’62, Greenwood, Dec. 17. She was a teacher and a 1999 Golden Apple Award winner with News Channel 4. Surviving are her husband, two daughters, four grandchildren and her mother. Ida Mae Reynolds Anthony ’70, Greenwood, Sept. 20. She was the first recipient of Greenwood District 50’s Teacher of the Year Award. Surviving are a two sons, a daughter, three grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and a brother. Mary Moore Lanford ’71, Clinton, Feb. 18, 2011. She was a member of Beaverdam Baptist Church. Surviving are two sons, two grandsons and a brother. Dollie Smith Seaborn ’72, Prosperity, Feb. 13, 2011. She was an RN and formerly played piano for West Side Baptist Church. Surviving are a son, a daughter, her mother and three sisters. Milledge Murphey Clyatt ’73, Aiken, Dec. 10. He was a member of the U.S. Army Reserve and was on the board of several nonprofit organizations in the Aiken area. Surviving are his wife, a daughter, two grandchildren and a brother. Michael Hart Mittenzwei ’73, Raleigh, N.C., Dec. 30. He worked for a nonprofit company that provided housing for low-income, handicapped and special-needs persons. Surviving are his brother and sister-in-law. Betty Dye Antonakos ’74, Anderson, Jan. 25, 2011. She volunteered for Meals on Wheels and Hospice but was known for her 35-year service to her church’s annual fundraiser. Surviving are a son and four grandchildren. Ronald Jerry Brookshire ’74, Anderson, Dec. 18. He served in the U.S. Navy and was a nurse for Anderson Memorial Hospital. Surviving are his wife, a son, three grandchildren, four brothers and one sister.

Class Notes

Dan Adams - Lander Mourns the Loss of Retired HR Director Lander lost a respected member of its community when retired university Human Resources director Robert Daniel “Dan” Adams, 65, died at Hospice House on Nov. 17, 2010. Adams started as Lander’s Human Resources director in 1974 and served in that capacity at the university until his retirement on Aug. 31, 2007. University President Dr. Daniel Ball worked with Adams for seven years and remembers him fondly. “Dan was a very loyal employee at Lander and dealt with a variety of complex issues with a certain quiet competence that was unique to his personality,” said Ball. “Even when faced with the pressures of the most difficult and sensitive employee issues, he never lost his cool.” Remembering Adams, Ball added, “He ran an excellent HR department and was a great friend to the university. Dan will be missed by the Lander family.” Adams was born in Oconee County on Aug. 6, 1945. A graduate of North Greenville College, Adams also attended the University of Tennessee and the University of South Carolina. As a member of Grace Community, Adams was very active in his church community. He is survived by his wife, Judy, his son, Robert, and his daughter, Chesnee Bresnahan.

Dr. J. Hayden Igleheart - “A Wonderful and Caring Man” Lander psychology professor emeritus Dr. J. Hayden Igleheart died on Nov. 7, 2010, in Greenwood. He was 90 years old. Igleheart graduated from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kentucky and served as pastor of several churches in the Kentucky Methodist Conference. He received his master’s degree and doctorate in educational foundations in psychology and sociology from the University of Kentucky, where he taught a graduate course. He also taught at Union College in Barbourville, Ky. Igleheart joined the Lander faculty in 1968 as associate professor of psychology and retired 22 years later. After retiring from his teaching position, he served as interim pastor for a number of churches in the South Carolina Methodist Conference. While at Lander, Igleheart was active in many community organizations, including the Greenwood Kiwanis and the Greenwood Historical Society, and he appeared on stage with the Opera House Players at Greenwood Community Theatre. He also served two terms as president of the S.C. Federation of Older Americans and was a member of the S.C. Commission’s curriculum committee. His survivors include son Jamie, whose wife, Dr. Leisa Igleheart, is an assistant professor of nursing in Lander’s William Preston Turner Department of Nursing and an adult nurse practitioner. Funeral services for Igleheart were held at Main St. United Methodist Church in Greenwood where, for 34 years, he was a member and teacher of the Trinity Sunday School Class, formerly the Featherstone Class. In a memorial tribute to Igleheart, a friend remembered him as “a wonderful and caring man who made a difference in so many lives that he touched.”

The Rev. Thomas F. Cooper ’77, Woodruff, Sept. 9. He was a retired Baptist minister and was a member of Northside Baptist Church. Surviving are three sons, three grandchildren and one sister. Timothy R. Sanders ’78, Lancaster, Oct. 4. Surviving is his wife. Thomas G. “Tommy” Patterson ’81, Greenwood, Jan. 11, 2011. He was retired from George Ballentine Ford and a member of Greenwood First Presbyterian Church. Surviving are two daughters, his parents, a brother, and his former wife, Beth Turner Patterson ’81. Kathleen Ann Steiner ’82, Phoenix, Ariz., Feb. 9, 2011. She worked for American and Delta Airlines then put her nursing degree to work in Guam and the Phoenix area. Surviving are her parents, a brother and two sisters. Julie Talbert New ’84, Greenwood, Jan. 1, 2011. She worked at Lakeview Elementary her entire career and was a member of St. Mark United Methodist Church. Surviving are her husband, two daughters, her parents and a sister. Christy Wilson Parr ’91, Liberty, Dec. 29. Surviving are her husband, parents, a brother and a grandmother. B. Joel Bedenbaugh ’94, Edgefield, Dec. 23. He was a member of Antioch Baptist Church and an employee of Avondale Mills. Surviving are his parents, a sister, a niece and a nephew. Ingrid Mirandra Boseman ’95, Columbia, Feb. 3, 2011. She was a member of Welfare Baptist Church and worked for DSS. Surviving are her parents, three brothers and two sisters. Kenneth N. Capps ’99, Greenville, Oct. 9. He was the band and drama teacher at Tanglewood Middle School. Surviving are his mother, a brother, a sister and a grandfather.

Sympathy To Martha O’Shields Patterson ’53 on the passing of her son, Thomas Grady Patterson ’81, Jan. 11, 2011. Katherine Drexel Pearman ’78 on the passing of her husband and Jennifer Browning ’96 on the passing of her father, John Haskell Pearman, Feb. 19, 2011. David B. Stephens ’78 and his wife, Susan Butler Stephens ’77 on the passing of David’s mother, Nancy K. Stephens, Feb. 20, 2011. Lynn Lominick Dilleshaw ’85 on the passing of her mother-in-law, Virginia McAlister Dilleshaw, Jan. 19, 2011. D. Dionne Boseman ’97 on the passing of her sister, Ingrid Mirandra Boseman ’95, Feb. 3, 2011.

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

Foundations of Tradition Fall Commencement Grads Congratulated for Creating and Continuing Legacies By Russell Martin

“This is one of those moments where you want to capture the energy and excitement and seal it in a bottle for future moments,” said Sharon Johnson, Lander assistant professor of mass communication, as she addressed 189 graduates at the university’s fall commencement ceremonies in December. Johnson congratulated the graduates for their achievements while noting the importance of the path that brought them to Lander’s Horne Arena on that day. “Many of you are first-generation graduates and

you are creating a legacy of learners for your families,” she said. “It’s not just about you anymore,” Johnson said, as she expressed to first-generation graduates that they were laying the framework for relatives to follow in their footsteps in the years to come. Johnson also recognized graduates who were continuing a tradition of achieving a college education, following in the footsteps of the generations that came before them. “This is a very proud moment for you and

your families – knowing the value of completing college and continuing that legacy of learning,” she said. Johnson is in her first year at Lander. She is also a community and public relations professional, former adjunct professor at North Greenville University and a former WYFF News 4 anchor. Over the past 10 years, Johnson could be seen anchoring the news on the NBC affiliate or reporting throughout the community.

1. Honored speaker Lander President Dr. Daniel Ball, right, stands with Sharon Johnson, Lander assistant professor of mass communication, prior to the university’s fall commencement exercises.

2. Top of her class Lander’s top academic honor for Fall 2010 graduates went to Ann Nugent of Greenville, who received the Thayer Award. The award is presented on behalf of the family of Dr. Henry K. Thayer to the graduating senior achieving the highest scholastic average, provided that the student has earned at least 60 credit hours in residence at Lander and that the student’s grade point average is at least 3.75. A nursing major, Nugent graduated summa cum laude and received a Golden L Award.

3. A family moment One fall graduate, MaKenzie Martin of Ware Shoals, was presented her degree by her mother, who works at Lander. Pictured, from left, are: Charlie Sacoco, Lander assistant professor of physical education; Robbie Martin, MaKenzie’s mom and member of Lander’s physical plant staff; MaKenzie Martin, who received her bachelor’s in exercise science; and Gina Barton, chair of Lander’s Department of Physical Education and Exercise Studies.

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

Commencement Fa l l 2 0 1 0

4. The celebration begins Graduates release their excitement after moving their tassels from the right side to the left side of their caps, denoting their official status as Lander alumni.

5. Down to business 4

Business administration graduates, from left, Kendell Stanley of Columbia, Michael Fedoseyev of Makeyevka, Ukraine, and Robert Sanders of Greenwood spend time reminiscing about their years at Lander prior to the fall commencement ceremony.

6. Time out Graduates take a breather before heading to Horne Arena. Pictured, from left, are: Daniel Green of Clinton, visual arts; Mary Mufuka of Resape, Zimbabwe, political science; and Vicky Lee Dendy of Greenville, sociology.

7. Looking their best From left: Courtney Leggieri of Greenwood, business administration; Kristen Stephens of Pendleton, elementary education; and Andrea Downey of Greenwood, business administration, prepare to walk across the stage before fall commencement.

8. M.A.T. grads Christie Nunley, left, and Kayla Griffith, both of Greenwood, wait for commencement exercises to begin. They received their Master’s of Art in Teaching degrees from Lander.

9. One of the team Van Taylor, left, Lander men’s soccer coach, and librarian emeritus Susan Going, right, congratulate soccer team member Adam Arthur, center, of York, England, after fall graduation.

10. The science of friendship

Looking back at their time as biology majors, graduates Rachel Walden of West Columbia, left, Jessica Sims of Ridgeway, center, and Lindsey Fallows of Abbeville prepare to say goodbye to their college days.

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

Young Faculty Strike a Balance Between Teaching and Parenting By Jeff Lagrone

Kevin Witherspoon Associate Professor of History

Renee Love Associate Professor of English and Director of Operations for Lander University at the UCG

hen Lander associate professor of history Dr. Kevin Witherspoon was hired five years ago, his colleagues were four “senior faculty, three of whom have since retired.” At graduation nowadays, he no longer brings up the rear, as he did then. “In five years I’ve gone from the very end of the line to the middle,” he says. Associate professor of English Dr. Renee Love’s experience is similar. Within three years after she came on board in 2004, as she puts it, “about six of my colleagues had retired, completely changing the demographics of the department.” Stories like Witherspoon’s and Love’s are common at Lander, which in recent years has seen an influx of youth. Balancing the demands of teaching, research and parenting, as many young faculty members at Lander do, can be difficult. One of the hardest times for associate professor of sociology Dr. Dan Harrison is “early in the morning, when I get up to get something accomplished and I can’t.” For Harrison, there have been other obstacles to overcome as well, which go beyond the ear infections his kids bring home from daycare. Last year he and his wife, Rebecca, came down with swine flu. His girls, Liliana, 3, and Mirabel, 18 months, did not get sick, but, as Harrison says, “it’s hard to take care

Associate professor of history Kevin Witherspoon poses with wife Jacky, son Andrew and daughter Alexis.

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

of someone else when you yourself are sick.” Compounding the problem for Harrison is the fact that, as he puts it, “we’re transplants. We have friends that we can call on in a pinch, but we don’t have the social support network that other people have.” Assistant professor of business administration Dr. Gail Moore and husband Brian have had their share of health issues, too. Their 3-year-old, Margaret, gets fevers “of unknown origin,” and both John, 11, and Will, 6, have been hospitalized. “It’s hard to see your babies like that,” says Moore. Getting John, his 9-year-old sister, Sarah Grace, and Will out the door in the mornings is “a major hurdle,” and Moore is often thwarted by “last minute stuff of all kinds.” It helps that the children attend the same school, Palmetto Christian Academy, and that Moore’s mother-in-law, Sharon Harwell, stays home with Margaret. Moore’s day is not over when her children get out of school. John is a Boy Scout and a baseball player who takes piano lessons. Will takes soccer and tennis. Sarah Grace is a member of American Heritage Girls. Margaret has ballet. The evenings, when there is homework to do, dinner to prepare and baths to take, can also be trying, and Moore expects “last-minute gyrations of all

Flanking associate professor of English Renee Love’s son Colt, center, are her daughter, Lila, and son Gray.

kinds” when she announces it’s time for bed. Division of labor helps Witherspoon get through the day. He is responsible for getting his 4-year-old son, Andrew, to his daycare, Cheerful Cherubs. His wife, Jacky, who teaches English as a Second Language at Pinecrest and Woodfields elementary schools, has the job of getting Alexis, their 7-yearold daughter, to her second-grade class at Merrywood Elementary. Love and her husband, Tate Putnam, take a similar approach. Putnam deposits Lila, 10, and Gray, 7, at Summit Drive Elementary in Greenville, while Love takes 22-month-old Colt to Trinity United Methodist Church Daycare. Love teaches on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and after dropping off Colt, she starts her 75-minute commute to Lander. “During the drive, I often listen to books on CD or iPod, or I enjoy listening to XM Radio while I reflect on the day’s activities. The drive on Highway 25 is quite scenic – I love the rural landscape.” Love singled out the Spring 2009 semester as the one she found most challenging. “The baby, Colt, was due mid-April, so I knew that I would not be able to complete the semester on campus. I did not know that he would arrive two weeks early!” Love had planned in advance to have hybrid classes that semester, so she and her students could transition to an online class format when she was no longer able to drive. “Many wonderful colleagues also stepped in for me and gave relevant presentations for my classes. Having these guest speakers may have resulted in one of my most successful semesters.”

For Love, the best time of day, apart from the time that she is in the classroom, is in the afternoons, when she picks up her children from after-school care. “On the drive home, we share our experiences of the day, our ‘high/low’ moments, and I revel in just being with my children.” Playing sports with Andrew and helping Alexis with her homework rank high on Witherspoon’s list of his favorite times of day. He recalled attending career day at his daughter’s school last fall. Alexis didn’t know he was coming, and when she saw her father, she lit up. “To see that moment of joy . . . it was like Christmas,” Witherspoon said. Dinnertime, followed closely by bathtime, gets Harrison’s vote for best time of day. “You sort of have these moments when you step back a little bit and you think, ‘This is what it’s all about.’ You’ve got to cherish those moments, because they’re not going to last that much longer.” President Daniel Ball had a straightforward explanation for the large number of young faculty members at Lander. “We have had to replace numerous faculty who began in the 1970s and 1980s when the university experienced rapid growth due to Lander becoming a state university. Those faculty retired en masse – and likewise we had to replace them en masse. Additionally, we have experienced rapid growth the past three years, necessitating the employment of faculty. “This is exciting for Lander. These young faculty will mold and inherit this campus, and have a significant impact on what we become as an institution,” he continued. “We are truly blessed to be a part of this great history of our campus.”

Associate professor of sociology Dan Harrison gets a hug from daughter Liliana, while wife Rebecca holds daughter Mirabel.

Dan Harrison Associate Professor of Sociology

Gail Moore Assistant Professor of Business Administration

Assistant professor of business administration Gail Moore’s children, Margaret, Sarah Grace, Will and John, enjoy each other’s company.

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

“With this station our students will begin covering Lander and Greenwood news, providing the community with quality professional programming.” 18

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

Live in Five Lander Media Students Poised to Reach the Masses By Russell Martin

Stage lights cast a warm glow across the glossy surface and woodpaneled edges of the anchors’ desk. Teleprompters cue up as one student reporter begins to read, “Today, in sunny Greenwood, South Carolina, the high will be …” This is only a test. Above the student’s head, a sign bearing embossed silver letters reads “Accuweather” and contains the ABC logo. The station identification refers to WTVD Channel 11, an ABC affiliate in Durham, N.C. But the students at the desk – and those controlling the studio cameras, sound, lighting and teleprompters – are over 200 miles away from the WTVD studios. These students are in the renovated John Sydney Abney Media Center in Lander’s Marion P. Carnell Learning Center. Just over a week prior to this test newscast, Lander students, faculty and staff were on their way to the Durham station’s satellite studio in Raleigh, where they rented a U-Haul and picked up a set that WTVD was donating to the university. The set includes a news desk and a backdrop and was procured through the efforts of Lander assistant professor of mass communication Sharon Johnson. “We contacted an award-winning design company to ask if they would like to design a set for the Lander studio,” said Johnson. “They mentioned that they design sets all the time for stations and that they might be able to identify a few stations in our region who were getting a new set and might be interested in donating their old set.” According to Johnson, it didn’t take Sharon Johnson long for Lander to get on the list to receive WTVD’s older set, and the station was not the only one to donate set components for the university’s television studio. Upstate station WHNS Fox Carolina also donated their news desk after updating their equipment. When all of these components are completely in place, Lander mass communication students will have a fully functional television studio that will allow them to receive the quality, hands-on experience they need to propel their careers beyond college. Left: This spring, Lander received a donated news desk and backdrop from a North Carolina ABC affiliate, WTVD, and a news desk from the Upstate’s WHNS Fox Carolina. Together, these pieces help set the stage for the launch of WLG-TV this summer. Pictured, from left, Brandi Bagwell of Gray Court and Jasmine Rhinehart of Chester practice their anchor skills on the new set.

“We want our students to have a more stable foundation in today’s job market,” said Dr. Robert Stevenson, chair of Lander’s Department of Mass Communication and Theatre. “We want them to know how to operate equipment. We want them to be familiar with the software that is standard for the industry, and this is a consistent initiative within our program.” Robert Stevenson The new set in the Lander television studio is the most recent symbol of how the university’s mass communication area is putting applied student learning into practice. And in the coming months the department will be launching a long-awaited initiative to give students more than just classroom experience in television production. During the 2010-11 academic year, mass communication faculty and staff have been working on an agreement with Northland Communication and Greenwood County that will give the university control of the local government access station, cable Channel 16. By this summer, all the necessary equipment should be in place to launch the station referred to as WLG-TV. “With this station our students will begin covering Lander and Greenwood news, providing the community with quality professional programming,” said Stevenson. “Our mission is to use this resource as a teaching tool, while preparing students for their careers.” According to Stevenson, the new station will be operating on an abbreviated schedule this summer with an official launch in the fall. Several programs are already in the works on topics such as food, outdoors, sports and real estate. These programs are being developed by Lander faculty, staff and students, as well as community volunteers. WLG-TV also has access to a number of South Carolina Educational Television programs, content from the Department of Natural Resources and local video from Rice Video Productions in Greenwood. “This summer will not include our typical lineup,” said Stevenson. “Though we do hope to cover Greenwood events such as the Festival of Flowers and the Festival of Discovery.” In regard to preparing Lander students for their careers, Johnson, who began teaching television production at Lander after working as an anchor for WYFF News 4, said, “In the industry there is nothing that will take the place of hands-on experience. For instance, either you have worked with a certain camera or you haven’t. A lot of times in the television news industry they will let you hang around for the day and do the job that you are applying for, and it’s quite obvious

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

Bridging the Gap To help launch the Lander-driven WLG-TV, 10 Greenwood-area businesses contributed the funds needed to establish a fiber optic network between the university’s television studio and Northland Communications. Each of the following sponsors contributed $1,300 for the project: • Countybank • Elliott Davis • Emerald Ink & Stitches • Steifle’s Appliances • Town & Country Property Management • Garrett Law Firm • Technesis • David A. Crotts & Associates • The Briar Patch on 34 • Self Regional Healthcare

Top photo: Miya Mayes of Greenville, left, is a regular guest in the mornings on XLR Lander Radio. She also co-hosts her own show twice a week titled The Lunchtime Divas. Also pictured is Ryan “Rhino” Wiley of Greenwood, host of Rhino’s Beach Party. 1. Among the many changes to Lander’s mass communication area, it has become a common occurrence to see students out with cameras and microphones, interviewing classmates, as well as university faculty, staff and administrators. Here, mass communication major Kayla Blackwell of Greenwood, left, interviews classmate Corbin Childs of Elberton, Ga., on the Centennial Hall lawn. 2. Timothy “Big Tuna” Thomas of Trenton, right, brings a lot to the Lander radio station. He is in and out of the studio regularly throughout each day and hosts his own show on Friday and Saturday nights titled Critical Damage with Big Tuna. 3. Students in the John Sydney Abney Media Center’s control room practice their skills at cueing up lights, sound, teleprompters and cameras. Pictured, from left, are: Marvell Blanding of Williamston, Jemeisha Lyde of Florence and Amy Becker of Beaufort.

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

from the beginning if an applicant doesn’t have the applied experience.” WLG-TV isn’t the only outlet through which Lander mass communication students are getting real-world experience. For instance, XLR Lander Radio has been broadcasting since 2009. They also enjoy a cozy and professional studio space in the mass communication wing of Lander’s Learning Center. Through the station, students get daily hands-on experience working with station manager and university emerging media specialist Paul Crutcher in the production of live shows, station ads and more. The lineup includes almost 30 shows by Lander students, alumni, faculty and staff. And whether listeners are tuning in five days a week for their wake-up call from The Breakfast Club with Paul Crutcher, or enjoying the sounds of Metal during the Friday and Saturday evening show Critical Damage with Big Tuna, they are hearing – and experiencing – Lander students as they develop necessary skills for a career in radio production. The mass communication area has continued to produce the campus newspaper, The Forum, which also has an online component. Faculty are giving students hands-on experience with Web writing and advertisement through social media outlets such as blogs, Facebook and

Get Your Name on the MCAT Alumni Wall of Fame As part of their newly renovated media center, the Department of Mass Communication and Theatre wants to spotlight the accomplishments of alumni who have gone on to careers in radio, television, journalism, public relations, acting, directing, teaching and more. Please let the department know what you’re doing by e-mailing them a creative photo of yourself at work. You may also mail information, but the photos cannot be returned. Contact: Laura Hester, assistant professor of mass communication, Department of Mass Communication and Theatre, Lander University, 320 Stanley Ave., Greenwood, SC 29649; lhester@lander.edu.

Twitter. For instance, Lander assistant professor of mass communication Laura Hester and her students are writing, taking photos, podcasting and developing video for a food blog titled The Bearcat Bite, in which they examine the diverse palettes of university community members. Stevenson also noted that the department is doing more to provide students with other technology that relates to a career in mass communication. “In addition to our existing video editing room, which contains iMacs loaded with Final Cut Express, we are getting 40 new computers with the latest video editing software in our mass communication computer classroom,” he said. For Lander students, all of the changes are very exciting. Senior mass communication major Travis Banks of Saluda said, “The Northland Communication agreement will provide an incentive for more students to come to Lander for mass communication. Everybody who is coming through the program is going to benefit from these changes. They are going to have a real newsroom. They will not just be going through the motions. “I want everybody who comes through the program behind me to 4 raise the bar. The sky is the limit,” Banks added.

In addition to your photo, please provide the following information: • Name and current contact information • What you are doing now • Your most significant professional accomplishment • What role Lander played in your success

Top photo: Upon returning from spring break, mass communication students, from left, Jim Hyatt of Greenwood, Nicole Richmond of Columbia and Kirsten Stewart of Spartanburg had the opportunity to flaunt their news anchor skills on a new set donated by North Carolina ABC affiliate WTVD. 4. University mass communication major Jacob Lethco of Hodges hits the campus beat for the department’s regular newscast. 5. Mass communication students, from left, Nardia Robbins of York, Nikki James of Dingley Village, Australia, and Tiffney Cooper of West Columbia collaborate on editing a video segment for a class project.

6. Senior mass communication major Travis Banks of Saluda is getting ready to graduate from Lander this spring, but he cannot wait to see how the program will evolve in the years to come. He has done his part to help usher in the recent changes to the program. For instance, he drove a U-Haul on two separate occasions to deliver new set pieces to the university’s renovated television studio.

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

B earcat Sports

One for the Record Books

Lady Bearcats Have Most Successful Season in Program History By Bob Stoner

Jasmine Judge, a junior guard from Augusta, Ga., led the Lady Bearcats in scoring on four occasions and steals on nine occasions during the 2010-11 season.

Junior guard Ciara Lyons of Augusta, Ga., pictured in a preseason exhibition game against the University of Georgia, surpassed the 1,000-point milestone this season.

A Record-breaking Season The 2010-11 Lady Bearcats made their second consecutive Sweet Sixteen appearance in a season that saw many notable milestones: • Set school-record 23-game winning streak • Achieved first-ever No. 1 national ranking • Recorded school-record 29 victories • Had first-ever NCAA Division II National Player of the Year, Shannon McKever

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

The 2010-11 Lander women’s basketball team proved that one can’t judge the success of a season by how many trophies are won. The Lady Bearcats may not have reached their goals of winning the Peach Belt Conference regular-season or tournament championships, or advancing to the NCAA’s Elite Eight, but they did put together the most successful season in program history at 29-4. After reaching the NCAA national tournament Sweet Sixteen for the first time in 2010, the Lady Bearcats were ranked Coach Kevin Pederson No. 4 during the preseason in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches’ poll and were scheduled to meet No. 3 Tusculum in their season opener. Tusculum was the team that ended Lander’s national championship run in 2010. This meeting had a different result: the Lady Bearcats demolished the Lady Pioneers, 72-48. “I want to play the really hard teams early in the season. You play as challenging a season as you can,” said Lander head coach Kevin Pederson. “I thought it was important that our players know that they could beat (Tusculum) and get that monkey off their backs.” The win would set the tone for the rest of the season. Led by WBCA NCAA Division II National Player of the Year Shannon McKever, a 6-foot senior center who was also selected the PBC Player of the Year after averaging 17.2 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.2 blocked shots per game, the victories piled up en route to a schoolrecord 23-game winning streak. In the process, the Lady Bearcats moved up to No. 3 for one week, No. 2 for five weeks and then the inevitable happened. On Jan. 18, Lander, for the first time ever, was ranked No. 1 in the country. They would stay in the top spot for four weeks, drawing the attention of the media and local television stations who visited campus for interviews and coverage. Meanwhile, in Morrow, Ga., PBC rival Clayton State, the eventual national championship team, was keeping pace with Lander and marching up the rankings. The undefeated Lady Lakers reached No. 2 on Jan. 25, leading to a lot of buildup for the Lander-Clayton State regular-season contest on Feb. 10 in Morrow, Ga. In the first-ever regular-season meeting between the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in NCAA Division II, Lander twice built double-figure leads – 37-25 with 4:43 left in the first half and 4131 at 1:49 – only to have the Lady Lakers bounce back and eventually win the game, 83-81. “That was one of the most exciting games I have ever been a part of,” said Pederson. “We lost to them by two points on their floor. It decided who won the regular-season conference title and who hosted the regional.” The Lady Bearcats won their next two games when they downed Francis Marion, 78-65, and Flagler, 89-51. In the meantime, another PBC team – USC Aiken – was quietly climbing the ranks, and the Lady Pacers (23-4) were No. 14 when Lander traveled to the Convocation Center on Feb. 23.

Bearcat Sports

McKever Earns National Player of the Year By David Hays

Tasheba Butler, a senior guard from Florence, S.C., finished her career at Lander with 1,191 points. She led the team in scoring on three occasions and rebounds on 10 occasions during the 2010-11 season.

Senior center Shannon McKever of Florence, S.C., averaged 17.2 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.2 blocked shots per game and led the nation in field goal percentage (.620). She led the Lady Bearcats in scoring in 14 games this season.

Despite putting a 78-56 whipping on USCA 32 days earlier, Pederson knew this wouldn’t be an easy game. The Lady Bearcats fell to USCA, 66-59, and Pederson said his team had hit “rock bottom” and “had to regroup.” “I thought we got to the point where we were not playing like we needed to,” added Pederson. “When we played USC Aiken, they played harder and wanted it more.” But Lander did regroup, and in their next game, the regular-season finale, Lander blasted Augusta State, 104-46, for its biggest win of the year. That momentum carried over into the first round of the PBC tournament when the Lady Bearcats hosted UNC Pembroke and advanced to the semifinals by defeating the Lady Braves, 80-53. Lander’s hopes of winning the PBC Tournament were dashed in the next game at USCA’s Convocation Center, when the Lady Bearcats suffered a 71-62 loss to Georgia College, who would eventually capture the tournament title. “In the PBC Tournament you have to have a special effort and we didn’t have that,” said Pederson. “Georgia College put a magnifying glass on what we needed to improve, and that helped us going into the NCAA Tournament.” Clayton was selected to host the NCAA Southeast Regional in Morrow, and No. 2-seeded Lander was pitted against Wingate in the first round. Led by Brianna Webb and Jasmine Judge, who scored 18 and 14 points respectively, Lander routed Wingate, 86-54, in the quarterfinals. They advanced to the championship game against top-seeded Clayton State after McKever and Ciara Lyons each scored 24 points in an 85-68 win over USC Aiken in the semifinal round. But Clayton State was just too much for the Lady Bearcats, outscoring Lander, 44-31, in the second half and advancing to the Elite Eight with a 76-60 victory. Judge, who averaged 11.6 points per game, joined McKever on the WBCA All-American team as an honorable mention after leading the nation most of the season in three-point field goals made per game. The Augusta, Ga., junior finished the season with 114 threes, one short of Tiara Good’s school record. Judge, however, broke Good’s career mark of 196, and she now has 288. McKever became Lander’s all-time leading scorer (1,744 points) and shot blocker (231) and is second in career rebounds. “We are proud of the season we had,” said Pederson, “but we fell short of the goals we had as a team. When we sit back and look at it, we are extremely proud of this program.”

Lander’s Shannon McKever has a new title – National Player of the Year. In March, Lady Bearcats head coach Kevin Pederson broke the news to McKever that she had been named State Farm/Women’s Basketball Coaches Association NCAA Division II Player of the Year. A 6-foot senior center from Florence, S.C., McKever averaged 17.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game this season while shooting a national-best 62 percent from the field and blocking 3.2 shots per game. McKever was recognized during the WBCA Awards Show, held April 4 in the Indiana Convention Center in conjunction with the NCAA Women’s Final Four in Indianapolis. The award is presented annually to the top players in each of the WBCA collegiate divisions (NCAA Divisions I, II, III, NAIA and JC/CC) and high school. “I accept the award for Greenwood and the school, for the community, the supporting staff at Lander, and my family more than I do for myself, because without them I would not have been able to get this award,” said McKever. McKever said the award would not be possible without her teammates. She averaged only 27 minutes per game and would have certainly posted bigger numbers had she played 32-35 minutes per game. But a deep, talented squad kept some of the pressure off the star center. “We had a great freshman class (Ciara Lyons, Jasmine Judge, Brittni Johnson, Mukia Myrick, Nardia Robbins, Brianna Webb, Kaylyn Small and Keondra Barnes) during my sophomore year and we’ve all played together the last three years,” she said. “They are all good players, know how to handle the ball and create their own shots. They take a lot of pressure off me. It’s a team sport.” McKever is scheduled to graduate in December with a degree in exercise science and also hopes to play professional basketball overseas.

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

B earcat Sports

Horne to be Inducted into South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame Finis Horne, who served as Lander’s head men’s basketball coach from its inaugural team in 1968-69 until his retirement in June 1997, will be among seven inducted into the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame on May 23. The Class of 2011 also includes former NFL stars Brad Edwards and Chester McGlockton, legendary Greenville coach Joe Mathis, former Clemson football and baseball star Gene Moore, longtime Gamecock Club director Ed Pitts, and Army All-American and College Football Hall of Famer Arnold Tucker. “The Lander athletics family is extremely pleased that Coach Horne, the father of Lander athletics, has been voted into the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame,” said Jeff May, the current Athletics director who replaced Horne in 1997. “He is very deserving of this most prestigious honor.” The seven will be inducted at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. Tickets (table of eight for $500) and program sponsorships may be purchased by calling the SCAHOF office at 803-779-0905. Horne, who became Lander’s director of Athletics in 1971, retired as the winningest active men’s basketball coach in the state with a 491-379 record in 29 years at Lander, including 26 years when he was also Athletics director. Though the basketball team started out playing in a junior high school gym, it would move into a 2,500-seat facility, aptly named the Finis Horne Arena, in 1993. Horne would also oversee the athletics program’s move from NAIA to NCAA Division II. Horne, who received an associate of arts degree from Bethel (Ky.) College, a bachelor’s from Campbellsville (Ky.) College and his master’s from Western Kentucky University, won NAIA District 6 men’s basketball titles in 1978, 1979 and 1980, and was five-time District 6 Coach of the Year. He was NAIA Area 7 Coach of the Year in 1980. He was voted Palmetto State Conference Coach of the Year in 1989-90. After Lander moved to NCAA Division II, Horne coached Lander to back-to-back Peach Belt Conference Tournament championships and NCAA Tournament appearances in 1993-94 and again in 199495. He was voted Peach Belt Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 1993-94. After retirement, Horne received the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina’s highest citizen award, in 1997. He was inducted into the Lander University Athletics Hall of Fame on Oct. 9, 1999.

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

Craig Hughes

Aaron Brittain

Jamie Davison

Men’s Soccer has Impressive Run After a slow start, the Lander men’s soccer team eventually got things going. Winning only two of its first six games, the Bearcats kicked it into high gear to claim nine of their next 10 games, including seven straight. Lander was a perfect 7-0 in the Peach Belt Conference heading into its season finale against PBC archrival Clayton State. Lander, which leads the series against the Lakers, 11-7-3, has had to face Clayton State in numerous games to decide championships. This time it was for the PBC title. If Lander won, the Bearcats would win the title outright; if Clayton State won, they would tie. The Lakers won, 1-0, but it took double-overtime to do it. As the second-seed in the PBC tournament, Lander defeated UNC Pembroke, 4-1, in the first round, then saw their season come to an end in a 2-0 loss against No. 11-ranked Flagler in the semifinals. Craig Hughes, a senior from Sunderland, England, led the Bearcats with nine goals and eight assists for 26 total points to go along with three game-winning goals. Hughes, who was named to the All-PBC and Daktronics All-Southeast Region team, was third in the conference in points scored, goals and assists. Also making the All-PBC team were Aaron Brittain, a senior from Cleveland, England, and Jamie Davison, a senior from Middlesbrough, England. Brittain, who was named to the NSCAA All-Southeast Region team, scored eight goals and six assists for 22 points to go along with three game-winning goals. He was fourth in the PBC in goals scored, fifth in points scored and seventh in assists. Davison finished his career with three goals and seven assists for 13 points. He finished fourth in the PBC in assists. Splitting the goalkeeping duties for Lander were Matthew Atkinson, a sophomore from Durham, England, and Scott Playle, a junior from Fife, Scotland. Between them they averaged 1.20 goals against per game. In 26 years as Lander’s head coach, Van Taylor, who secured his 350th career win in a 1-0 win against the University of Montevallo on Oct. 23, has an overall 352-132-26 for a .715 winning percentage.

Bearcat Sports

Rebuilding Year for Men’s Basketball With only one returner from last year’s team, head men’s basketball coach Jeff Burkhamer knew this year would be a rebuilding season. Despite finishing 10-16 overall and 3-15 in the Peach Belt Conference, the Bearcats became one of the most feared teams in the league as they continued to jell until the season’s end. In the finale, the Bearcats took No. 5-ranked Augusta State down to the wire before falling, 65-60. In all, Lander lost six games by five points or less. Lander opened the year by winning its first three games over Newberry, Voorhees and Erskine. That streak was followed by four losses, including a 65-46 defeat at NCAA Division I Winthrop University. But in late December the Bearcats got back on track with consecutive wins over Southern Wesleyan, Hiwassee and Lenoir-Rhyne. Sophomore David Pruett led the Bearcats with 15.5 points per game. Pruett, a native of Sugar Hill, Ga., ranked fourth in the PBC in three-point shots made per game with 2.7. A two-time PBC Player of the Week, Pruett scored in double figures in 18 games, including eight games with 20 or more points. He netted a season-high 34 points against Southern Wesleyan. Also averaging in double figures were Calvin David Pruett Liptrot, a 6-3 junior from Orlando, Fla., 11.7 ppg.; Jermel Kennedy, a 6-7 junior from Malton, Ontario, 10.2 ppg.; and Tovi Bailey, a 6-1 senior from Villa Rica, Ga., 10.0 ppg. Bailey ranked third in the PBC in assists per game with 5.0, while Kennedy was third in rebounds per game with 8.4.

Volleyball’s LaRocca, McCracken Finish Final Season in Fine Fashion The Lander volleyball team bade farewell to two of its best-ever players this season when All-Peach Belt players Melissa McCracken and Candace LaRocca finished their eligibility in fine fashion. The duo led the team to an 11-16 overall record and a 5-9 mark in the PBC. McCracken, a 6-0 outside hitter from Washington, Ill., averaged 3.16 kills per game, second best in the PBC. McCracken earned National Player of the Week honors last season when she set Lander’s single-season records for total attacks (1,308) and kills (431). LaRocca leaves as Lander’s all-time assist leader. A St. Louis, Mo., setter, LaRocca, who Melissa McCracken was voted the PBC Freshman of the Year in 2007, was fourth in the PBC in assists per set with 9.11 and set Lander’s single-season (1,341) and career records for assists (4,638).

She is also tied with Marina Camps for most games played in a career with 132. The surprise player of the year was libero Madison Kubal, a sophomore from Dacula, Ga., who led the PBC in digs per set with 5.24 after seeing limited playing time in 2009. Coach Carla Decker, Lander’s all-time winningest coach, has put together an overall 94-68 record in five seasons. Candace LaRocca The Bearcats built momentum going into the PBC Tournament when they upset Montevallo, the secondranked team in the PBC, 3-0. However, the season ended in the quarterfinal round of the tournament when the fifth-seeded Bearcats lost to fourth-seeded USC Aiken, 3-1.

Women’s Soccer has Strong Season The Lander women’s soccer team put together its third-best season in the history of the program this year when the Lady Bearcats posted a 9-7-1 overall record. Playing in the highly competitive Peach Belt Conference, where Lander posted a 4-5-1 record, the Bearcats kicked off the season with victories over North Greenville (3-1), Wingate (2-0) and Erskine (20), before suffering their first loss against No. 16 Armstrong Atlantic, 3-2, in overtime. After a 2-1 triumph over Anderson University, Lander was tagged with its second loss, 2-0 against No. 4 Columbus State. The Bearcats enjoyed another three-game win streak later in the season against Georgia Southwestern (2-0), Flagler (1-0) and USC Aiken (4-2). Their season came to an end in the first round of the PBC playoffs against Columbus State, 5-0. Sophomore Jamie Shaw, who was an AllPBC selection, led the team with eight goals and three assists for 19 points. Shaw, a native of Columbia, also had two game-winning goals. She ranked sixth in the conference in goals scored and ninth in total points scored. Senior Katherine Baltz, Tullahoma, Tenn., and junior Chelsea Beetch, Palmer, Alaska, split most of the goalkeeping duties for a 1.39 goals against average. Baltz logged in 957 minJamie Shaw utes in goal, while Beetch had 485. Making the PBC All-Academic team for sporting a 3.2 grade point average or above for the academic year were Kendall Couch, Tifton, Ga.; Rachel Datz, Tega Cay; Lara Middlebrook, Waxhaw, N.C.; and Ashton Tatum, Columbia. Coach Chris Ayer, who completed his fifth year leading from the Lander sidelines, has amassed an overall 44-37-4 record, bringing his winning percentage to .541.

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

News Briefs

Barton Cited for Her Passion for Teaching

Gardner Honored by Project Learning Tree

Dr. Gina Barton, chair of Lander’s Department of Physical Education and Exercise Studies, has received a prestigious award for promoting quality physical education during her 26-year career as an educator. The South Carolina Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (SCAHPERD) presented her its 2010 Honor Award for “an outstanding commitment to the individuals she has taught and coached and to the profession in which she has invested so much time, energy and talent.” Barton joined the Lander faculty in 1999 and, in addition to her administrative duties as department chair, she maintains a full-time teaching schedule. She has played a leading role in SCAHPERD’s efforts to reform physical education programs for all schoolchildren, starting with kindergarteners. “I have a passion for physical education and wanted to be a part of change,” she said. During her career, she has served on several committees at the state, district and national levels writing standards and assessments and physical education curriculum guidelines.

Lander assistant professor of education Dr. Cynthia Gardner was recently named S.C. Project Learning Tree (PLT) Outstanding Educator of the Year for 2010. Gardner was honored at the annual meeting of the S.C. Forestry Association, one of the sponsors of PLT in South Carolina. PLT is an environmental education program designed for teachers and informal educators who work with students from prekindergarten through high school to foster an understanding of nature and our place within it. An example of how Gardner uses her PLT training can be seen in her Nature Tales program, which paired early childhood education majors at Lander with preschoolers at Lifetime Discoveries, a local daycare center. Gardner believes the program achieved its goal of providing the preschoolers opportunities to explore science and nature within the framework of children’s literature, but there was a payoff for the Lander students who participated, too. “It was a wonderful experience for them,” she said. “They absolutely loved it.”

Lander Business Honor Society Earns Premier Designation, Again

Lander Professor Helps Lakelands Social Studies Teachers Dive into American History

Beta Gamma Sigma at Lander has been named a premier chapter by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, International (AACSB). Lander’s Department of Business Administration received AACSB accreditation in 2004, the highest recognition any business school can receive. To qualify as a premier chapter, at least 85 percent of eligible students must become members. At Lander, all the students who were eligible joined the local chapter in 2009-2010. Dr. Michael Shurden, Department of Business Administration chair and professor of management, said this is the sixth year in a row Lander’s chapter had 100-percent participation. Shurden and assistant professor of accounting Carol Wood are chapter advisers. Membership is open to junior and senior business students who are in the top 10 percent of their class. Premier chapter certification is accompanied by a $500 matching grant awarded to a Lander business student.

The Teaching American History in the Lakelands program is funded by a $991,000 grant from the Federal Government. Dr. Kevin Witherspoon, Lander associate professor of history, wrote the grant with the help of retired Greenwood District 50 teacher and Lander adjunct history instructor Domer Ridings, who also serves as the Teaching American History in the Lakelands program director. The pair will be joined in the program by other Lander faculty, as well as faculty from Erskine College, Presbyterian College and Clemson University, who will serve as master scholars for the Lakelands activities. Open to third-, fourth-, fifth-, eighth- and 11th-grade social studies teachers in Greenwood, Laurens, Abbeville and McCormick county school districts, the program’s goal is to provide teachers with extensive knowledge of various periods in American history, while also providing guidance in teaching methods and lesson planning. For information regarding Teaching American History in the Lakelands, or to sign up for the program, contact Domer Ridings at dridings@lander.edu, or Dr. Kevin Witherspoon at kwitherspoon@lander.edu or 864-388-8685.

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

News Briefs

Lander Assistant Professor Wins Award for Telescope Mirror Project Lander assistant professor of chemistry Dr. Lisa Brodhacker’s quest to make the perfect epoxy telescope mirror has had its highs and lows. She recently earned a second-place finish and a $1,000 cash prize after entering her TruView Spin Cast Epoxy Mirror project in the Launch Pad competition sponsored by the Spiro Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership at Clemson University. Faculty and students in Lander’s Department of Business Administration, who helped Brodhacker prepare her Launch Pad entry by compiling a business and marketing plan for her, estimated potential annual sales of $100 million. Brodhacker is under contract with NASA to produce three epoxy telescope mirrors of varying sizes, for use in space communications. But her latest mirror, a half-meter dish, had ripples caused by vibrations during casting. It’s not the first setback that Brodhacker has endured. She has been plagued by equipment failures and slowed down by a semester in which she taught extra classes. The project holds a patent for the process that creates progressively thinner layers in mirrors, but there is still work to do on the chemistry. If Brodhacker is anything, she is resilient, and another half-meter dish is already in the oven. NASA is interested in developing plastic mirrors because they are a tenth the weight of their glass counterparts. A 2-meter epoxy

mirror weighs around 500 pounds, Brodhacker said, while a glass mirror the same size would weigh “several tons.” Manufacturing a glass telescope mirror may take years, depending on the size, she said, but “it only takes a month to make an epoxy mirror of any size with an optical surface ready for plating, without any additional grinding or polishing.” “We’re one of only a few who are making lightweight mirrors out of epoxy, and that’s why NASA is interested in us,” she said. Brodhacker hopes to refine her mirrors to the point where they can be used not only for communications, but in viewing telescopes. She is convinced of the value of the research that she is doing. “These mirrors could revolutionize several areas of astronomy,” she said.

Assistant professor of chemistry Lisa Brodhacker displays her newest epoxy mirror with the help of Kevin Babson, a senior biology major from Gray Court.

The Horse as a Teacher Consumers at Greenwood’s Burton Center learned how to improve their own life skills by caring for horses at Lander’s Equestrian Center. Therapeutic riding coordinator Beth Wood said 19 men and women attended classes three mornings a week for two weeks. Participants were taught such things as equine anatomy and how to groom horses using different tools, while making analogies to personal grooming. They learned about feeding, tacking and cleaning stalls, illustrating the importance of human nutrition, personal dress and hygiene. They were taught horse handling to build their confidence and to work in small groups, emphasizing the importance of teamwork. Wood said participants who were shy around horses at the start of each session were much more comfortable at the end and demonstrated a sense of accomplishment. Louise Robinson, Burton Center’s day program director, said, “They love the program and are able to relate to the care of the animals. It’s a win-win.”

Therapeutic riding coordinator Beth Wood, third from left, shows Burton Center consumers how to spread new bedding material in a horse stall at Lander’s Equestrian Center. Participants relate the care of horses to improving their own life skills.

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

News Briefs

“Growth, Growth, Growth!” Director Nancy Poston proudly proclaims that Lander’s Equestrian Center has grown much faster than expected since it opened in the fall of 2009. The big challenge is staffing to meet demands associated with caring for its 30 horses, all of which were donated, maintaining the barn and 16 exterior stalls, ordering supplies and more. In addition to Poston, the center employs an equestrian coach, a part-time therapeutic riding coordinator and three other part-time assistants. Another 80 volunteers assist with therapeutic riding and other chores, while 15 student workers, most of them Lander equestrian team members, perform a variety of tasks. The center sits on 37 acres leased from Burton Center. In addition to the barn and exterior stalls, it includes paddocks and outdoor arenas, with another 20 acres at the rear of the property. There has been a significant increase in the number of therapeutic riding clients, many from Burton Center, and the program has a waiting list. Therapeutic riding coordinator Beth Wood is mentoring Poston and two volunteers who are working to be certified as instructors. Another area of growth is Lander’s equestrian team, which coach Mary Hughston said has 27 riders, compared to eight last season. In October, Lander hosted its first Intercollegiate Horse Show Association event with Lander competing against equestrian teams from 12 other colleges and universities. The team had an impressive season, finishing second out of six

schools in western competition and fifth out of 15 in hunt seat. Western team captain Casey Bennington, a junior from Dahlonega, Ga., was second in high point western rider standings. She also won her class in open reining at the western regional and qualified for the semifinals at West Texas A&M University in late March. Senior Tiffany Graddick of Clinton was reserve champion in her class and also moved on to the westLander Equestrian team members and their mounts prepare for competitive ern semifinals. events. The riders are Ellison Poston, Junior Ellison Poston, left, and Lori Ballentine. Nancy Poston’s daughter, was reserve champion in the walk, trot, canter regional finals, and qualified for the zone finals at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tenn. Hughston said Lander has drawn the interest of several prospective students who were attracted by Lander’s small-school environment, great academic programs and an impressive equestrian facility whose program is growing.

Lander Assists United Way in VITA Program The logo, poster and brochure being used to promote the United Way’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program are the work of Lander visual arts major Ellen Herring of Aiken. Herring’s design is the fruit of a process that began in late September, when United Way president Denise Manley and community relations coordinator Wendi Andrews approached Lander assistant professor of art Jim Slagle. Slagle’s semester was planned, but he saw an opportunity to give his students some valuable experience. He agreed to make a poster and brochure to promote the VITA program a part of Art 304 Graphic Design Studio. In a late-October visit to the class, Manley named Herring’s concept the winning design. “It’s very clean and gets the point across,” she said. Asked how she would rate the experience of working with Slagle and his class, she said, “It was very professional. It went way beyond our expectations.” Herring called the United Way’s use of her work “a huge honor.”

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

Pictured, left to right, are Wendi Andrews, United Way community relations coordinator; Denise Manley, United Way president; Lander assistant professor of art Jim Slagle; and Lander visual arts major Ellen Herring.

News Briefs

Farewell to Lander’s Partner at Winchester

Piling Up Frequent-Flier Miles

Dr. Roger Richardson has visited Lander a dozen times in the past six years recruiting students to spend a semester at the University of Winchester in England. And he was very successful, having persuaded 34 students to accept his invitation. Richardson, professor emeritus of history, is retiring as Winchester’s director of internationalization and, in February, he made a final official visit to Lander, meeting with students and faculty. He was also the guest of honor at a farewell tea hosted by President Dan Ball and his wife, Marge. Faculty members and many Lander students who studied at Winchester came to wish him well. Ball said, “Roger has taken a persistent interest in Lander and we have adopted him as one of our own.” Study Abroad director DeWitt Stone Jr. said Richardson is very personable and had good relationships with Lander students at Winchester. Stone, who also chairs Lander’s Arboretum Committee, said an English oak tree will be planted near Laura Lander Hall to honor Richardson.

Barbara Ervin, associate professor and director of Lander’s Virginia Self Center for Montessori Education, is in big demand as she travels the world for the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education, participating in the accreditation of Montessori programs in other countries. Ervin has been to Taiwan twice; Shanghai, China, in 2009; and, last fall, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Dublin, Ireland. In each country, except Ireland, she led a team that visited colleges and universities to verify accreditation documents, interview students and faculty, and observe classes. In Dublin, Ervin and another group evaluated a Montessori college whose national endorsement was up for renewal. In May, she will be off on another overseas Montessori accreditation trip to visit schools in Johannesburg and Durban, South Africa. The time spent observing schools overseas has broadened her perspective. “Each time I returned with information for Lander’s Montessori students.” Lander is the only university in South Carolina and one of only a few public educational institutions in the country with a Montessori certification program. The university offers an undergraduate degree in early childhood education with a Montessori emphasis and a master’s degree in Montessori education.

Dr. Roger Richardson, right, talks with students at a tea in his honor.

Barbara Ervin, director of Montessori teacher education at Lander, models an abaya, a robe-like garment that Saudi women wear when they are out in public. Ervin was part of a team that evaluated a Montessori school in Saudi Arabia being considered for accreditation.

Lander Honors Top Staff Lander President Dr. Daniel Ball announced in February the recipients of the university’s 11th annual staff excellence awards: Jeff Beaver, Lander physical plant director; and Tom Covar, Lander’s budget director and controller. The awards are presented annually to staff members who show outstanding dedication to their work and exemplify the family spirit at Lander, and recipients are nominated by fellow colleagues. Beaver has been with Lander for seven years. Nominators described him by saying, “Jeff has a high moral character … he has mutual respect for his job, his co-workers and for himself … watching Lander grow and improve is a source of pride for him.” Covar has seven and a half years of service with Lander. According to his nominators, Covar “not only pays attention to detail, but memorizes them all … his patience exceeds all professional guidelines.”

Pictured, from left: Jeff Beaver, Lander physical plant director; Lander president Dr. Daniel Ball; and Tom Covar, Lander budget director and controller.

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

News Briefs

Lander to Host The Wall that Heals A replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial will be on display at Lander Sept. 8-11, coinciding with the 10th anniversary of 9/11. “The Wall that Heals,” as it is called, is a half-size duplicate of the Vietnam Wall in Washington, D.C. Measuring 250 feet in length, it includes 24 panels inscribed with the names of the more than 58,000 service men and women, including nearly 900 South Carolinians, who died in the war. The original Wall was completed in 1982. It draws an estimated 3 million visitors a year and, nearly 40 years after American involvement in the war ended, it remains an emotional symbol for the men and women who served in Southeast Asia and the families of those killed or missing in action. Built in 1996, the traveling replica has been on display in more than 300 American cities and, at each location, it attracts tens of thousands of spectators. It is a somber moment for many who stand quietly, reading or touching the names of friends or loved ones inscribed on the Wall. Others bring flowers, photos, small American flags and other memorabilia, which they place at the foot of the Wall. Carey Bolt Jr., veterans affairs officer for Greenwood and Laurens counties, is making arrangements for the Wall exhibit at Lander with Self Regional Healthcare and other organizations as sponsors. Jim Pfeiffer, president and CEO of Self, said, “I am excited about having this exhibit in Greenwood. We need to honor our veterans because without them, we would not have our freedoms.” Pfeiffer’s family has a long history of military service. His father is a West Point graduate and his son recently graduated from the Air Force Academy. Lander president Dan Ball said, “The Wall showcases the men and women who gave their lives to keep our nation free, and Lander is deeply honored to have this memorial on our campus.”

Ball noted that many Lander students and alumni are serving or have served in the military. The university is also home to the Army ROTC Highlander Battalion’s Bearcat Company, which has 18 members, according to Lt. James Thompson, the officer in charge of the Lander unit. Bolt, a retired Army paratrooper, said the replica Wall and a small museum will be on display in front of Lander’s Old Main Tower, accessible to the public 24 hours a day with an honor guard posted around the clock. Anna Cuson, CPA, Self Regional Healthcare’s senior internal auditor, is working with Bolt to organize activities to accompany the Wall exhibit, including a health fair and several events to honor veterans and first responders.

A meeting to discuss the exhibit of the replica Vietnam Memorial Wall at Lander brought together from left, Jim Pfeiffer, president and CEO of Self Regional Healthcare, a sponsor of the Wall exhibit; Carey Bolt Jr., veterans affairs officer for Greenwood and Laurens counties, who is coordinating arrangements for the exhibit; and Lander president Daniel Ball.

Jackson Named Outstanding Educator Former Lander president Larry Jackson has been named Outstanding Educator by the Greenwood Chapter of People to People International (PTPI). The award was presented to Jackson in February during a reception in his honor at the Greenwood County Library. Chapter president Connie Edwards said Jackson was selected for the honor based on his “merit and selfless service” to Lander, its students and the Greenwood community. Jackson served as president of Lander from 1973-1992. “His humanitarian services stretch over several decades,” Edwards said. “He embodies all that is good and noble in the peace process.” Edwards also noted Jackson’s support of the annual PTPI Peace Studies Conference at Lander and his work with many charities and civic organizations.

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

Former Lander president Larry Jackson, center, recipient of the Greenwood Chapter of People to People International’s Outstanding Educator award, stands with chapter president Connie Edwards, right, and Beth Pinson, Lander Class of ’68, last year’s award recipient.

News Briefs

EYE-Catching Award for Lander’s Internship Programs By Dave Lorenzatti

Experience Your Education

Lander has a long history of encouraging students to test drive their classroom learning before they graduate by gaining real-world job experience as interns. This spring, 93 students representing 11 courses of study are working as interns at organizations in the Greenwood area and beyond. Lander’s emphasis on contextual learning was recognized last year when the university’s Experience Your Education Program (EYE) was named the 2010 Experiential Learning Program of the Year by the National Society for Experiential Education. NSEE members are educators, business executives and community leaders committed to developing and improving opportunities for students to apply their textbook learning to real-life workplace situations. Dr. James Colbert, assistant professor of biochemistry and EYE director, said the award is a tremendous accomplishment. “A lot of faculty, staff, students and community members had input into the program.” President Daniel Ball said, “Winning a national award as the best of anything is prestigious. That EYE was singled out is even more gratifying because it demonstrates Dr. James Colbert, assistant Lander’s commitment to preparing professor of biochemistry our students to enter the workand EYE director force.” The university’s emphasis on contextual learning was cited in the 2010 National Survey of Student Engagement, which reported that 70 percent of Lander seniors completed internships, co-ops, clinical requirements or other field experiences. That compares to 45 percent at peer institutions. EYE was created in 2005 as the quality enhancement plan requirement for Lander’s reaccreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges. It was introduced in the spring of 2009, the year after Colbert became director. The program is now tracking data related to 480 students who completed over 800 courses and activities. In the last two years, 52 students have earned Golden Eye awards for completing 120 EYE credits. This spring, Lander’s Department of Business Administration

(DBA) has the largest number of interns in the workforce with 33. Physical Education and Exercise Studies has 28. Sam Tolbert, associate professor of Health Care Management and director of DBA’s internship program, places 30 to 40 business students in experiential learning programs each semester and, since 2005 when he became director, 400 business students have successfully finished internships. To qualify, students must be seniors with a minimum GPA of 2.5. “About one half of our students complete an internship and find it to be a very positive experience,” Tolbert said, adding, “Most of them say internships should be mandatory for business students because it allows them to apply their classroom learning to actual job situations.” Tolbert has valuable business and community contacts because of his more than 25 years of business experience in Greenwood and leadership in the Chamber of Commerce and Greenwood’s Economic Alliance, and he is rarely unable to place an intern. Some companies accept Lander business interns each semester. He calls them organizations that have mentoring spirits. His goal is to match students’ learning objectives with the needs of the companies where they are working. He has placed students as far away as Greenville and Charleston, and one completed an internship at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Interning students are considered management trainees, supervised by preceptors who submit written performance evaluations to Tolbert. Students give him weekly reports summarizing what they learned on the job, and faculty advisers meet with students and preceptors in the workplace at least once during each internship period. Students earn three credit hours for working 110 hours, equaling the amount of time they would spend fulfilling classroom and outside study requirements in a typical three-credit course. Tolbert impresses on students that completion of an internship stands out on their resumes as they enter the job market or apply to graduate school. Lander’s business program is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), which represents the highest standards of achievement for business schools everywhere. Tolbert said AACSB has applauded Lander’s business internship program as a best practice, exceptionally done. The other 32 Lander students completing internships this spring are majoring in political science, art, psychology, media, English, history, environmental science and theatre.

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

Opening the Door to New Educational Opportunities in Asia

By Dave Lorenzatti rk Dr. Sung-Jae Pa

ander students will soon have an opportunity to study at institutions of higher education in the Pacific Rim region, specifically China, South Korea and Japan, under a new Asian initiative announced by President Daniel Ball. In March, he and Dr. Sung-Jae Park, Lander’s new interim dean for International Programs, traveled to China and Korea for official meetings with administrators of universities in those two countries. In making the announcement, Ball said, “Our objective was to sign formal agreements opening the door for student exchanges between their academic institutions and Lander beginning this year.” Ball emphasized that the schools he and Park visited paid all their expenses related to the trip. In China, they signed agreements with Shanghai University, China Eastern Normal University, and the University of International Economics and Commerce in Beijing. In Korea, they concluded working agreements with administrators at Yeungnam University, Dong-A University and Pusan University of Foreign Studies. The new Asia academic initiative will make its debut this summer with the selection of two Lander students to attend a two-week study program at Dong-A University in Korea. That would be followed by a semester-long student exchange in the fall. Ball said the new initiative will enable

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

Lander to attract students from Pacific Rim nations. “I am optimistic we will have students from Asia on our campus next fall.” Ball and Sung-Jae Park have been friends since the early 1970s when both men were on the faculty of Ball State University in Indiana. Ball was a professor of biology and, during his 36-year career, Park was a professor of sport and physical education and director of Asia programs. He has helped schools, universities and organizations around the world develop international education opportunities. He said, “The Asia initiative at Lander is an opportunity to enrich the international experiences of students and faculty.” The ultimate goals are student and faculty exchanges between Lander and schools of higher education in China, Korea and Japan, joint degree and research programs, and employment opportunities. Park earned bachelor’s degrees in business and physical education from two Korean universities, a master’s degree from Ball State and a doctorate from Ohio State University. In addition to his academic credentials and teaching experience, he has served in several health, physical education and recreation organizations, and since 1996 he has been a member of the Korean President’s Advisory Council for the Unification of the Republic of Korea. He also is an eighth-degree black-belt in Judo. He said Lander is attractive to foreign students because of its size. “We are small

and intimate and know how to welcome people. Students who come from Korea and China will return home and spread the word that Lander is a good place to study.” The Institute for International Education (IIE) reports that foreign students contribute nearly $20 billion to the U.S. economy each year. In the 2009-2010 academic year, 3.5 percent of America’s higher education enrollment, or 691,000 students, was international students. China, South Korea and Japan are among the top five countries with students in American schools. In the previous academic year, South Carolina ranked 34th in the nation with 4,400 foreign students in colleges and universities in the state. Lander’s enrollment includes 57 international students from 17 countries, none in the Pacific Rim region. Park said, “South Carolina must do more to recruit foreign students not only for diversification but also economic development. We need to be global citizens, to think and act globally and contribute to the global community,” he said. He noted that other countries, especially China, Korea, India, Japan and nations in the Middle East, encourage their students to learn about the United States so they can be competitive in the global marketplace. Park and his wife, Gemma, a retired nurse, have established an international fund at Lander to provide financial assistance for students and faculty interested in overseas study.

McAbee Brings Sculpting Zeal to Lander By Jeff Lagrone

Lander assistant professor of art Doug McAbee shows off his prize-winning sculpture, Lucille.

hat’s green, made of steel and named after a 90-year-old woman? Hint: “She” won first place in the sculpture division at the 37th annual juried exhibit at Carolina Gallery in Spartanburg. Give up? It’s Lucille, a creation of Spartanburg native and first-year Lander assistant professor of art Doug McAbee. Inspired by a water tower he ran past while jogging, and named after his great aunt, Lucille was made from such diverse components as a cast-off muffler and disposable propane tank, transmogrified by McAbee, who has been welding in the shop of his father, a retired welding instructor, since he was 7. The work is abstract, and McAbee is pointedly vague when discussing its “meaning.” “My purpose is to suggest things,” he says, “and let the viewer interpret for himself.” McAbee’s work was recently featured at Lander’s Monsanto Gallery, along with that of fellow assistant professor of art Jennifer Stoneking-Stewart. It can still be seen at Lander’s Larry A. Jackson Library, where Laura Jean and Ethel’s Daughter reside. It may seem that McAbee’s sculptures are all named after women. Nothing could be further from the truth. The name of the sculpture that won a best-in-show award at a

juried exhibition in Charlotte last year is The One with a Hole in It. McAbee’s drawings, like his sculptures, are frankly abstract. A case in point is the Mr. Gander series, the record of a close encounter of the ornithological kind. How McAbee found time to create such a diverse gallery while working days as a graphic designer and nights as an adjunct art teacher is unclear. He took the graphic design job as “a temporary thing” when he was unable to find work as a public school teacher after graduating from Winthrop University in 1994. He “still had the itch to teach,” however, and he eventually returned to Winthrop to pursue an M.F.A. During his final year in graduate school, he was given a three-dimensional design class to teach. It proved to be a career-defining moment. “I realized within the first few weeks that I loved teaching at the university level, and I loved teaching 3-D projects and ideas,” he says. Thus began a juggling act that went on for seven years. “It was tough to work full time and then commute to Rock Hill to teach two nights each week while also trying to find time to make sculptures, but I loved it and just couldn’t give it up,” he says. At last he reached a point where he “just couldn’t not teach full time any longer. I started watching for vacancies and I just got really lucky with the job here at Lander.” Starting a metals program for the art department is on McAbee’s “to-do” list. “I love steel,” he says. “It’s a reasonably priced material, and it will allow for a wide range of practical applications. Students can spend a small amount of money on some steel and create something that can be exhibited indoors or outdoors, and they can get all

sorts of finished visual effects.” He would like to see sculpture become an official area of emphasis for visual arts majors, which “would allow us to expand the courses we offer and give our students who excel in three-dimensional art an opportunity to try out even more sculptural materials and processes.” Visual Arts Department chair Linda Neely speaks glowingly of her new colleague. “Doug McAbee incorporates visual whimsy into his work without sacrificing skilled craftsmanship,” she says. “Goodnatured, yet clearly with high expectations, he inspires his students to perform at a level that astounds themselves. “We are very pleased to have snagged him from his previous university to come to Lander and build a sculpture emphasis that will match the quality of our fine photography and graphic design studio art offerings,” she continues. “As a working and regionally exhibiting sculptor, McAbee brings an authentic excitement to Lander students about making art — and making it public.”

The One with a Hole in It

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

Accept the Challenge! “As president of the Lander Alumni Association, I ask you to embrace all of the fantastic memories of what your years at Lander mean to you today. As we look back to those days with a smile, let’s accept the challenge that is before us: Lander students need our help. Each alumni class has been asked to increase their level of participation in the Lander Loyalty Fund. Please make a gift to help Lander students, as well as help our class participation percentages grow. Lander has made a difference for you – it’s time to return that generosity by making a difference in the lives of future Lander students!

Don Scott, Lander Class of 1975, President of the Lander Alumni Association

Dear Lander alumni and friends, We often talk about community at Lander University, and with good reason. Our community begins on Lander’s campus and extends around the world, comprising a diverse network of alumni, students and parents, current and retired faculty and staff, trustees and other friends. Bound by our ties to this great university, many of us are finding creative ways to invest in its mission and vision. Beginning this year, the full list of donors from the previous fiscal year will appear in the fall issue of the Lander Magazine; the extra pages of the spring issue will be used to share with you more information on the exciting things taking place at the university, including highlights on Lander’s philanthropic community, which is fueling a remarkable range of work in academics, health care, athletics, the arts and so many other areas. On the pages that follow, you’ll read about some of these efforts, including the Meghan Diane Hawley Scholarship, an Arbor Day donation, and the endeavors of Wayne and Kathy Stevenson, who have established scholarships that bear the names of people who made a difference in their lives. The challenge for everyone who cares about Lander and the world is to find the intersection between personal goals and the university’s strengths. Lander can be a powerful means to fulfill your philanthropic aspirations, and the university offers unique opportunities for transformational giving. If you haven’t already, I hope you’ll join our community of giving this year. Whatever your goal, you can make an impact. Please find a way to help Lander with a gift to the Lander Loyalty Fund. We need you – and our students are worth it. As you read about our progress, I hope you realize how your support helped make it possible. I thank you for your generous gifts, your friendship and for the role that you have played in the success of Lander. $2.0 mil Every gift matters. Sincerely,

L OYALTY F UND Give online at www.lander.edu/loyaltyfund

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

Ralph Patterson Vice President for University Advancement & Executive Director of The Lander Foundation rpatterson@lander.edu

$1.8 $1.6 $1.4 $1.2 $1.0 mil $800,000 $600,000 $400,000 $200,000

Gifts to Lander

Scholarships Stand as an Expression of Gratitude Lander graduates Kathy and Wayne Stevenson say Lander was the starting point for their careers as educators. They have chosen to express their appreciation by establishing three scholarships as part of a planned giving arrangement, qualifying them for membership in the Samuel Lander Society. Kathy has been an instructor of teacher education at Lander for three years and Wayne was director of Adult Education in the Abbeville County School District for 19 years. She graduated from Lander in 1979 and he followed a year later, and both went on to obtain master’s degrees. Kathy also has a Doctor of

Education degree from Walden University in Baltimore. The Stevensons said, “We created the scholarships to recognize Lander faculty and alumni who meant so much to us.” An art education scholarship is named for Alan MacTaggart, former dean of Lander’s College of Arts and Humanities and Kathy’s first professor. The second scholarship honors Mary Jo Cook, former Lander vice president for Business and Administration, and her husband, Larry Joe Cook, former professor of music and director of Lander’s Wind Ensemble. The third is in memory of Lander alumnus Leland “Sandy” Scott, the longtime director of Abbeville High School bands which, under his leadership, won several state and national championships. Ralph Patterson, vice president for University Advancement, expressed the university’s gratitude to the Stevensons. He said, “Their thoughtfulness and generosity will make a difference in the lives of our students. We appreciate their gifts to Lander’s scholarship program and welcome them into the Samuel Lander Society.” For information about including Lander in estate planning and other giving opportunities, contact Patterson at 864-388-8350 or visit Lander’s website at www.lander.edu.

Carolina Silverbell Added to the Campus Landscape for Arbor Day For an institution devoted to expanding its diverse collection of trees and plants, Arbor Day is a holiday that calls for a special celebration at Lander. In December, the university hosted a public ceremony and tree planting in honor of South Carolina’s Arbor Day. Community leaders and Lander faculty, staff and students were on hand for the event. For the occasion, the Greenwood Council of Garden Clubs donated a Carolina Silverbell, or Halesia Carolina. It was the fifth year that the council celebrated Arbor Day by planting a tree on the Lander campus. During the celebration, presentations were given by Nita Carmichael, president of the Greenwood Council of Garden Clubs, and Dr. Austin Trousdale, Lander assistant professor of biology. The Carolina Silverbell and its location were selected as part of Lander’s Arboretum project, which is focused on building a diverse collection of plants and trees throughout Lander’s campus. The goal of the project is to not only beautify the campus, but also to serve as a “living laboratory” in which students and community members can study the variety of flora that thrive in South Carolina’s climate. The Lander Arboretum committee relies on donations to keep the project going. Trees planted for the project include identification plaques and labels, and donors can choose to honor or

memorialize friends and loved ones on those plaques. For information about Lander Arboretum donation and giving opportunities, contact the Office of University Advancement at 864-388-8350.

Among those in attendance for Arbor Day proceedings were, from left: Marge Ball, Lander’s first lady; Dr. Austin Trousdale, Lander assistant professor of biology; and Nita Carmichael, president of the Greenwood Council of Garden Clubs.

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

G ifts to Lander

Meghan Hawley – Lander Nursing Department’s Bright Light Shines On In 2008, then Lander nursing major Meghan Diane Hawley of Orangeburg was diagnosed with cancer and would have to undergo treatment. As medical expenses began to mount, Hawley’s classmates and faculty members at Lander rallied to her aid, raising thousands of dollars and even supplying her with a hospital survival kit filled with snacks, drinks and other essentials for recovery. Meghan Diane Hawley “The support Meghan received while at Lander was tremendous. From students to faculty and staff, there was a tremendous outpouring of love and devotion to Meghan throughout her illness,” said Jeff Hawley, Meghan’s father. Despite her illness, Meghan Hawley returned to Lander and the Hawleys’ knew they could count on the support of the nursing faculty. “I always knew that I could call and ask questions about her return and receive compassion and understanding in response,” said Meghan’s mother, Lita Hawley. “The staff never made concessions for Meghan, and yet they understood and had great compassion for her. Meghan would not have wanted to be treated differently.” Meghan graduated from Lander in December of 2009, receiving the Department of Nursing’s Professional Development Award. By then her cancer had gone into remission. She went on to work as a cardiac care nurse at Providence Hospital in Columbia. According to her father, Meghan often talked about her time at Lander. “Meghan loved attending Lander and especially the nursing program,” he said. “She talked about how the program prepared her for the team environment required in the nursing profession.” Meghan’s fellow graduates and the university’s nursing faculty continued to think of her as well. And when her cancer returned, so did the support from the university community. “The faculty, at one point, asked if they could come visit Meghan,” said Jeff Hawley. “When she knew that the battle with cancer would soon be over, many former classmates reached out to her with visits and calls.” Meghan died in November 2010. But before she passed, she returned the generosity and support she had received from the university community by making Lander one of the beneficiaries of her insurance policy. This money was contributed by Meghan and her family to form the Meghan Diane Hawley Memorial Scholarship. “It was Meghan’s decision to establish this scholarship,” said Jeff Hawley. “Meghan wanted to be able to help people who might face a similar situation someday, and who, because of a health problem, lost a scholarship and could not return to school as rapidly because

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

of financial reasons as they recovered from their illness.” Meghan’s act of generosity spurred a fervor of support from her friends, family, nursing colleagues and Lander alumni, faculty and staff, resulting in almost doubling the scholarship fund she established with her insurance policy. Including Meghan’s contribution and the overwhelming amount of individual donations, the fund has now exceeded $25,000. According to Ralph Patterson, Lander’s vice president for University Advancement, Meghan’s contribution is an amazing tribute to Lander and the university’s nursing program. “For Meghan to have Lander in her heart during such a difficult time in her life can never be forgotten, and now it never will be,” he said, “and it’s a tremendous validation of our outstanding nursing program.” Patterson added, “Meghan’s gift says a lot about the quality of the education that our students are receiving, and also speaks to the caliber of our students. Meghan understood the value of giving back at a young age, and it meant not only that she had a strong affection for her faculty and classmates at Lander, but also that she had been raised by her parents in a special way that enabled her to have a vision to help Lander and future students.” Bernice Daugherty, chair of Lander’s Nursing Department, said, “Meghan was very compassionate, her fellow students loved her and her clinical skills were excellent. We refer to her as a bright light, and down through the years, Meghan’s light will continue to shine because of this scholarship.”

Meghan Hawley was among the graduates from Lander’s nursing program in December of 2009. They are, back row, left to right: Dana Schultz of Greenwood; Addie Tomlinson of Kingstree; Cortney King of Honea Path; Meghan Hawley of Orangeburg; Kristen Smith of Greenwood and Kim Abrams of Laurens. Front, from left: Mary Beth Kalbfleisch of Saluda; Crystal Dickson of Laurens; Khalidah Ali of Columbia and Emily Horne of Abbeville.

Lander Students Honor D-Day Survivor with Tree By Jeff Lagrone

Top: Lander students pose with John Smitherman, a veteran of the Invasion of Normandy whom they met while touring battlefields in Europe. From left to right are Tiffany Feaster, a chemistry major from Batesburg; assistant professor of business Dr. Karie Barbour; Alden Broome, a secondary education major from Walhalla; Austin Fuller, a secondary education major from Greenwood; Smitherman; Jonathan Smith, a political science major from Fountain Inn; Robert Ballenger, a history major from Greenwood; and Ashley Reid, a health care management major from Blythewood. Left: Lander students stand in front of the tree they dedicated to World War II veteran John Smitherman. From left to right are Dr. Misty Jameson, assistant professor of English and film studies; Robert Ballenger; Dr. Jean Paquette, professor emeritus of history; Austin Fuller; Ashley Reid; Alden Broome; and Jonathan Smith.

chance meeting last year between a group of Lander students and a survivor of the Invasion of Normandy recently resulted in the appearance of a new tree on Lander’s front lawn. The students were in France with the Battlefields/Battlefilms tour led by Dr. Jean Paquette, professor emeritus of history, and Dr. Misty Jameson, assistant professor of English and film studies. The veteran’s name is John Smitherman, and the meeting took place on Utah Beach, 66 years after Smitherman and the rest of the 4th Infantry Division came ashore during the Invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944. “One memory I have is the walking stick he had, and watching him point with it to the spot on the beach where he believed he had come ashore. That was pretty neat,” said Jonathan Smith, a senior political science major from Fountain Inn. The 4th Infantry Division was the first Allied unit to land during what became the largest amphibious assault in history. Initially, losses were light, but the 4th Division’s luck would not last. “The next day, we had to take [the gun emplacements above them] out because they were giving the ships so much trouble,” writes David

Roderick, a sergeant with the 22nd Regiment of the 4th Infantry Division and author of Utah Beach: Story of Fourth Division and Support on D-Day. “We lost a lot of men attacking the fortifications.” By May 2, 1945, when the 4th was deactivated, it had suffered 22,454 combat casualties, the most of any American division in the European Theater of Operations. Smith, one of the students who came up with the idea to dedicate a tree to Smitherman, said the veteran told him and the others from Lander that it was his first trip back to Normandy. Smith characterized the meeting with Smitherman as the “highlight” of the Lander students’ trip. Last fall, Smith began calling all the John Smithermans in Alabama, where Smitherman had told him he was from, in hopes of locating the veteran he met last spring. He was ultimately successful, enabling him to send Smitherman a copy of the picture of him with the group from Lander on Utah Beach. Dr. Paquette, whose trip made the meeting with Smitherman possible, remembered how the students “got so excited that here was a guy who was in the battle and actually survived.”

Lander Magazine • Spring 2011

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Winter Wonderland As students prepared to begin the Spring 2011 semester, Old Man Winter made quite an appearance – in the form of a major snowstorm. The Greenwood area saw about 6 inches of snow during the January storm, causing classes to be either canceled or delayed for several days. Campus would eventually thaw out, and life would return to normal, but for those few days, Lander was truly a Winter Wonderland.

Top: A lone student braves the cold to make her way across campus near the Science Building and Chipley Hall. – Photo by Russell Martin Far left: Snowflakes fall gently on Laura Lander Hall, giving the campus landmark a quiet, tranquil look. – Photo by Chandler Darling Left: An orange leaf – a colorful reminder of the fall – appears as the campus grounds begin to thaw. – Photo by Taylor Trevathan